With Eyes Wide Open
by Hades'Queen
Summary: Mr. Gold stumbles across a treasure, he covets... with all his heart. But he will find that some treasures, can't be bought or bargained for, much to his chagrin. The story of the imp and his mermaid princess. Rated M, just in case.
1. Chapter 1: Treasure Unparalleled

**Disclaimer:** Once Upon a Time and its characters belong to ABC and by extension Disney. I'm just playing with them.

**A/n:** This is my first Once Upon a Time story. It's a Rumple one, because he's the most interesting character. And I wanted to get this up before episode 8, since some of Rumple's backstory will be revealed and that will probably... affect this story one way or other, probably by making it AU.

**With Eyes Wide Open**

He could remember very clearly the first time he saw her. He'd been working in his shop, in his office in the back, when he heard the front door of the shop, open and shut. He paused on what he was working on and shut the leather-bound ledger, before picking up his cane which rested beside him against the large desk.

In a smooth move, he got to his feet, and limped subtly over the threshold of his office and stepped past the curtain into his shop. Through the mire of objects and counters, his eyes quickly assessed the trio in his shop. A pretty little red-head and a brunette stood at one of the display cases, in which he had locked up tight some of his most valuable objects. Both girls were so delighted in pointing at the different extensive china tea set, that they didn't seem to notice him.

However, what caught his attention was the third girl, whose straight black hair fell in layers half-way down her back. Unlike the other pair, she seemed quite content to be alone, and her hair was not held up at all, but rather allowed to hang loosely. Mr. Gold found her wardrobe just as interesting. Though she wore a purple t-shirt with a black vest, what most intrigued him was the tutu-like, black skirt that she wore.

Walking silently, and trying to attract as little attention to him as possible, Mr. Gold made his way over to the girl. As he stepped closer, he saw that what caught her attention, was something he'd recently acquired.

"How can I help you, dearie?" he asked, with a slight genial smile as he stood behind the counter, both his hands resting on the top of his cane.

The girl looked up at him, with the biggest and darkest green eyes he'd ever had to pleasure to see. For a moment, her eyes were wider than the norm out of her surprise. However, at the sight of him, her expression changed to one of slight bemusement. She turned her stunning green gaze away from him, and back to the lavender instrument which rested on the counter that stood between them. Her long-fingered, elegant hands rested on the wood surface, as if itching to touch the guitar.

"How much is it?" she asked bluntly, looking up at his eyes. He found her eyes to be beautiful and her unyielding gaze, which held not even a hint of fear, enchanting.

"I'm sorry," he said regretfully, though his eyes continued to gleam wickedly. This was a game he had played to perfection. "But at present, I'm afraid it is not for sale. You see, it's in need of significant repair," he said, motioning with one of his hands. "You understand."

Unexpectedly, the girl's green eyes, which he discovered had flecks of gold, started to glint with an amused expression. Her pretty, raspberry lips quirked into the most charming, lopsided smirk. "Course. You could reap more from it once its fixed, right?"

Mr. Gold almost laughed. However, he merely contrived to smile, showing off his dimples and a few golden-capped teeth. "I _am_ a businessman."

"Lucy, we're going," the brunette, who looked a considerable amount older than the red-head and the black-haired beauty, called suddenly. Mr. Gold didn't bother to look away from the beauty before him.

He watched as the young, dark-haired girl cast a glance over her shoulder to her companions. She nodded her head in assent, before turning back to Mr. Gold. If she was disturbed by the fact that his murky gaze was fixed on her intensely, she did not show it.

"Well, perhaps I'll come again," she said, casting a longing glance to the guitar before turning on her heel and gracefully walking to the door.

Mr. Gold smirked knowingly, as he watched the slender girl taking her leave. His gaze was drawn to the back of her milky, firm thighs, which the tutu showed a fair amount of. "I don't doubt it, Lucy," he said in a near whisper, savoring her name like a fine wine; however, she had already gone.

Mr. Gold felt keenly aware that he had just stumbled across a unique and valuable treasure, which his being longed for with a thrumming that would not let him rest. He HAD to posses the girl, all of her. And he felt that just maybe, fortune had already acquired for him the necessary bargaining chip.

With a malign smirk and a greedy spark in his eyes, Mr. Gold looked down at the broken electric guitar. With one of his hands, he caressed it's cracked neck gently, and chuckled at his unparalleled luck.

XX

It was weeks, before she wandered back into his shop. At the time, Mr. Gold had been busy, straightening a few new items. At the sight of her, a dimpled smile broke out on his face. "I thought perhaps you'd lost interest in the instrument, dearie."

With a frankness that he was starting to think was usual for her she asked him if the instrument had been repaired. As she walked up to him, he took the opportunity to study her form. She was a very fit girl. Though she was shorter than he was, and very slender, he could see the pulling of muscles in her legs as she walked. Her stride was full of power.

He was starting to think that her legs, were one of her finer features. They were long, and today covered in black, ripped stockings. Over them, she wore black, very short, shorts. She wore the same sneakers as she had on the other day, and a purple, spaghetti-strapped shirt. Like the first time he saw her, her long hair was loose and fell in silken black strands, touching her pale shoulders.

"Yes, wait here," he said, with a smile before disappearing into his office. It wasn't long before he was back, standing in front of her. He held out the instrument for her to take and she did, not seeming to really notice when his hands brushed hers as he handed it off.

"So how much do you want for it?" she asked as she studied the repaired neck, which was replaced with well polished and waxed, mahogany wood. She fingered the replaced strings, which were stretched taut all across. She noted that on the body, there were a few nicks and scratches that had not been able to come off, but that didn't matter to her. She felt that they were part of the instrument, and belonged there.

"Taking into account the high quality of the new neck," he replied, leaning against the counter. "Fifteen hundred."

He saw her face fall with a small amount of glee in his heart. It was out of her price range. He watched as with regret on her face, she handed the instrument back to him. He took it gently from her, and set it on the counter beside him. Her eyes, never seemed to leave the guitar.

"So, do you want it?" he asked.

"It is not a question of want, but means," she replied dryly, as she lifted her dark green eyes to him. For a moment, she studied him before opening the enticing bow that was her lips. "Would you accept a trade for it?" she asked.

For a moment, Mr. Gold studied her youthful face thoughtfully. He wanted nothing more than to make a deal with her, but even he knew that some laws were unbendable. And she looked a bit underage, and he knew well any kind of contract could not be entered by someone under the age of adulthood.

"How old are you?" he asked carefully, hoping she was eighteen.

"Seventeen," she replied shortly, quick to dash his hopes. Mr. Gold felt a line of fire blaze inside him, as he railed furiously inside his head. However, he merely stared coolly at the girl.

"Trade? What do you have in mind?"

"This," she said, lifting a hand to touch the center of her sternum. Mr. Gold's eyes greedily followed the trail of soft skin to see what she pointed to. Nestled over her sternum, was a pendant in the shape of a drop. The drop itself was purple, and lined with stones. "It's Amethyst, and these are real diamonds," she said, tracing the line around the tear. "Its worth at least-"

However, they were suddenly interrupted when the door of his shop was thrown open. Both occupants of the shop, turned to look towards the doorway, where a girl with brunette curls in a pony-tail had just burst through.

"Adelaide?" Lucy asked with her brows furrowed, at the sight of the brunette's face, who looked panicked.

"It's Daphne, you must come! She's done it again! I told her not to but-"

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold, but we'll have to do this again," Lucy said, turning to look at Mr. Gold. For his part, Mr. Gold was rather annoyed to be interrupted, but the sound of his name coming from her lips, dazed him for a moment. He nodded his head, and watched as the girls left his shop in a rush. Picking up his cane, he walked over to the door of his shop and stood outside, watching as the girls rushed across the street and were met by the red-head he had seen with Lucy the last time she was in his shop.

He watched in interest as Lucy grabbed the red-head by the arms, looking very vexed. He saw her poised stance as she turned to the brunette who still looked panic, and gave her orders that he could not hear before pushing the red-head at the brunette who now looked a bit confused. "Hurry, Adelaide," Lucy shouted when the two girls merely stared at her confusion.

The sound of sirens, alerted Mr. Gold to the approach of the sheriff. The red-head and the brunette had just disappeared into Granny's, when the cop car turned the corner. Mr. Gold watched with slight amusement, as Lucy crossed the street back to his side, and started walking nonchalantly with her hands stuffed in her pocket.

The Sheriff Graham stopped in front of her. "Miss Davenport," he called as she was walking down the side-walk, every step bringing her closer to Mr. Gold's so he did not have to strain to hear.

Lucy stopped and turned to the Sheriff, offering him a small smirk. "Hello Sheriff, what brings you around here on this beautiful saturday," she said sarcastically, as the day was overcast. Mr. Gold smiled in amusement, shaking his head briefly at the girl's antics.

The Sheriff looked sternly at the teen. "Where's your sister, Daphne?" he asked, closing the door of his car and walking over to her, putting his hands on his hips.

"At home I should guess, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm not her keeper, you know," she replied coolly.

"You know it's against the law to lie to an officer."

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "If you don't believe me, that's your problem. Daphne is home, she's grounded you see. If you don't believe me, you are more than welcome to call my sister Minerva and ask her."

"I got a call, saying one of the Davenport girls was once more taking things that do not belong to her and trespassing on private property."

"You don't say, and what might that have been?" she asked curiously, suddenly pulling a bright red apple from her pocket and taking a bite of it. However, after a moment she spit it out. "You know, I think Madame Mayor may use too many pesticides on her tree, this tastes awful," she said cheekily, tossing the apple over her shoulder. Mr. Gold once more couldn't keep from smirking.

Graham sighed suddenly. "Lucy, you're going to have to come with me."

"Oh, come on Graham. It's a freaking apple. Hardly warrants this degree-"

"The law is the law, Lucy. And even you have to abide it," he said, pulling out his cuffs and taking slow steps to approach her.

"Really, you think the cuffs are necessary? Are you afraid of little ol' me?" she asked with a smirk, even as she extended her hands to be cuffed.

Once more the Sheriff heaved a sigh, "One day, Lucy, you're going to have to learn to take life more seriously," he said, looking down at her eyes, as he cuffed her. Mr. Gold didn't like the way the Sheriff stood so close to his newfound little treasure.

"I don't think so. Life is a joke, you have to laugh at it, or else it will crush you," she retorted as he led her to the car and opened the door to the back for her.

_**TBC...**_

_**A/n: **_For now, that is it. Please tell me what you think! Cookies, if you guess what Fairytale characters the girls are. Hint, the protagonist of the Fairytale is not the protagonist of this story.


	2. Chapter 2: Punishment

**A/n:** For those concerned about Lucy's age compared to Mr. Gold's, I think the point of age is moot in Storybrooke (not that anything will happen between them while she is seventeen). Because I think the people in Storybrooke were all stagnant, almost frozen as it were at the age they were when they were plucked from the Fairytale realm. And when Once Upon a Time starts, you have to take into account 28 years have passed (Emma's age).

So the way I see it, Lucy has been 17 for 28 years. She's simply not aware of it, just as all the people in Storybrooke are in a mental fog. Except for Regina and possibly Mr. Gold. It's a little dodgy, how much exactly he remembers. I think Henry's exempt from the aging thing because technically, he was born in our world and Mr. Gold brought him into Storybrooke approximately 18 years into the curse.

And as everyone knows, time starts to move in Storybrooke when Emma arrives. Which in this story won't be for a couple of chapters. This story takes place a few months before Emma's arrival. And now, onto the story, sorry for the long note!

* * *

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The fall-out had been... harsh. Although, Lucy wasn't truly surprised by this. After all, she had been arrested.

"Do you have any idea what this means for your permanent record?" her father shouted from where he stood behind a large desk in his study, his hands clenching the expensive, monstrous thing so tightly that all the veins in his large hands popped. Lucy wanted to roll her eyes at this, but refrained from doing so. Her father's fury was at an all-time high that she was afraid that it would give him an aneurism if she made him any angrier. When he came to the station for her, she even thought that he was about to strike her, he was so angry.

Lucy shrugged. "Don't see how it matters. None of us are allowed to leave this house when we graduate," she replied. "I'm sure you have a set of jobs lined up for all of us. Just there, waiting for us until we've graduated High School. You have our whole lives mapped out for us."

Her father, the big broad-shouldered man opposite her, with grey tinting his the black tresses of his combed back hair and neatly trimmed mustache and goatee, straightened. He pointed one pale, large finger at her. "You listen here, Lucy. I have had enough. Your teachers tell me if you are not in class, than you are usually disrupting it. I've had it with this attitude problem of yours. Starting Tuesday, you will be seeing Dr. Hopper. Hopefully, he can straighten you out."

"So that I could be like perfect-Minerva? Or complacent like Marina and Elaine? Or empty-headed like Trista?" Lucy asked snidely, unable to stop her mouth.

"You will not leave this house but for school, and Ochestra practice. And your swimming privileges are suspended," he said, coldly, ignoring her previous statement. His deep blue eyes, like the ocean, were just as cold as he stared at her. Lucy felt her heart ache deep within her chest, but ignored it as she straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. However, she had nothing more to say to him.

"Are we done?" she asked, mimicking his cool tone to perfection. Her father waved her way, his attention going back to the stacks of papers on his desk before him as he resumed his throne-like seat.

Lucy rolled her eyes and walked to his study door, her foot-falls muffled by the heavy, expensive carpeting underfoot. When she opened the door, she was unsurprised to find that all her sisters were standing behind it. She rolled her eyes as she stepped out and closed the door behind herself and started making her way down the long hall, pushing her way past her sisters who were all asking what happened.

"What do you expect happened? I'm grounded and have to see Dr. Hopper," she replied irritatedly.

"This is all your fault, Daphne. Why can't you be normal?" she heard her sister Adelaide accuse their younger sister

"Leave her alone, Adel. I knew what would happen by covering for her," Lucy snapped irritatedly. However, it wasn't at her sisters that she was irritated at. It never really was.

"I could tell daddy the truth. You shouldn't have to pay for what I did," Daphne said sadly, her voice carrying over that of all there sisters. Lucy stopped walking and turned to Daphne.

"No, this is my decision and I'm sticking with it. Just stop stealing! Or at least don't get caught," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. "Now all of you, leave me alone," she said, looking at all her other sisters before turning and shutting herself up in her room.

XX

Lucy had to wait until Monday before she could sneak off to Granny's diner. After having walked into school and ditching her bag in her locker, she snuck off school property and took off. It wasn't long before she found herself jogging down main street, a light sheen of sweat covering her skin.

For a moment, she stopped and bent over, holding her side and trying to catch her breath. She'd run nearly across town without stopping, and even though she was probably at the physical zenith, she still had to stop for a moment.

Straightening and tying her hair in a pony-tail, Lucy walked into the diner, her presence immediately caught by the waitress. "Shouldn't you be in school?" Ruby asked with a smile on her painted-red lips and a pointed look in her eyes as she picked up a few remaining dishes from a vacated table as she made her way to the back. Lucy merely shrugged noncommittally at this.

"Considering it's the only time I could really get away at, I thought I'd drop by and thank you for your help the other day," Lucy explained. Ruby turned from where she stood and looked over at Lucy.

"No problem, you know I'll always try to help if I can," she smiled, as she started to wipe the counter down. Lucy nodded and took a seat at the counter, not really wanting to go to school today.

"Slow day?" she asked as she looked around the empty diner.

"It's slow everyday," Ruby replied with a bemused smiled. "How's your sister, Minerva?" Ruby suddenly asked, surprising Lucy. Turning around, she watched the waitress with pigtails and raised a brow slightly. However, Ruby did not look up from the minute tasks she was completing now that the morning crowd had cleared.

"Well you know her, always scrambling to please father whatever way she can and of course, running around trying to take care of the rest of us," Lucy replied honestly, feeling that Ruby deserved to know the truth and secretly hoping that Ruby would save Minerva from herself. "It's exhausting to watch her."

"Doesn't the responsibility fall on Marina and Elaine's shoulders too?" Ruby asked with a slight frown, looking up from her work and placing her hands flat on the counter.

"Marina tries, but father keeps her at a distance, because you know... she's a bit of clutz. And Elaine, father is perfectly content with her being the face of the company, and she's of course thrilled and so involved in this to notice anything else going on around."

Ruby shook her head at this. However, before anymore could be exchanged between them, the chimes over the diner entrance rung. Turning around, Lucy watched with a raised brow as Mr. Gold's eyes met hers. "Good morning, girls," he greeted politely.

"Morning," Lucy murmured, noticing that once more he was finely dressed, as he limped over to the counter leaning heavily on his cane.

"What can I get you, Mr. Gold?" Ruby asked, turning to look at the pawn-broker, all the previous warmth in her voice completely deserting it. However, it still remained civil and polite, with a small smile, even if it didn't reach her eyes.

"Just a coffee, dearie," he replied. Ruby nodded and turned to leave immediately to get him a cup. "And how are you today, Miss Davenport?" he asked congenially as he turned his gaze to her.

"Right as rain," she replied with a sardonic smile. "And yourself?" she asked, thinking it was only polite.

Mr. Gold contained the grin that had threatened to break out at her cheeky response. "I'm well, thank you for asking," he replied as Ruby came back and set a coffee in front of him. "Ruby, would you mind leaving us alone for a bit, there is something I would like to discuss with Miss Davenport."

Ruby narrowed her eyes protectively at this. "I think anything you have to say to her, can be said in front of me." Lucy almost sighed, she thought it was unwise for Ruby to affront Mr. Gold in this way. Though she had only first seen Mr. Gold for the first time a few weeks ago, she'd long known about his reputation around town. And she certainly knew the hold he had over many citizens in Storybrooke. And was aware that Ruby worked tirelessly to help her gran pay off their debt to Mr. Gold.

"Ruby, it's ok, give us a few please?" Lucy said, turning to look at Ruby with a reassuring smile; she wasn't afraid of Mr. Gold, and felt confident enough not to fall into any traps. Ruby cast a look at Lucy as she furrowed her brow, but after a moment, she sighed.

"Fine, but I'll be right over there, if you need me just shout," Ruby said, before turning and walking away, merely waving a hand when Lucy thanked her. Once she was gone, Lucy turned and found Mr. Gold was staring at her. She was starting to wonder if he always stared at people in this way, like his eyes alone could swallow them up.

"We were interrupted the other day," Mr. Gold started simply. "You were saying, about the necklace?"

Lucy blinked for a moment, and wondered what on earth she had thought he was going to want to talk to her about. "That it's worth at least twice what the guitar is worth," she replied after briefly shaking her head. She watched Mr. Gold take a sip of his cup. She found it rather fascinating, his accent. She'd wondered for a moment why it had taken her so long to notice it. She supposed because in their last two encounters, she was distracted.

"And why would you part with such a jewel, for a guitar that isn't worth as much?" Mr. Gold asked with a faint furrowing of his brows, trying to understand the girl.

Lucy shrugged. "Will you trade it, or not?" Lucy asked bluntly, at a loss for how to answer what should have been such simple question. But she wasn't sure why she would trade it.

"You have a deal," he said extending his hand, however, she didn't take it.

"But, I don't have it here, with me. I'll try to bring it by as soon as possible."

"Just don't take too long," he said simply. Lucy nodded and slipped her hand in his. His grasp was warm and his fingers, which felt like they were made of steel, clamped over hers almost in a too tight grip.

However, Lucy wasn't frightened. She merely looked up into the man's murky gaze with searching eyes. After a bit of thought, she smirked, knowing by the man's grip that he wasn't half as frail as he pretended to be and she almost laughed at his feeble ruse, wondering why he bothered. Did he think that pretending to be frail, that the people of this town would think him less scary than he was? Or be less intimidated by him? Or that he would be more accessible?

As she continued to stare into his eyes, she wondered how much of a ruse was the polite, mild-mannered, soft-spoken, always perfectly controlled image that he put forward was. "I'll try not to," she said, pulling her hand from his, and finding that his hand had resisted for a moment. She found it a bit strange, but at the same time, she found herself incredibly curious.

XX

When the wooden door opened, Lucy looked up from the book she was reading and watched as a little, dark-haired boy waved goodbye to Dr. Hopper. Lucy raised a brow at the tallish man with unruly tendrils of copper hair as he took off his glasses and cleaned them. She watched him say goodbye to the boy, Henry, before turning to her. Replacing his glasses, he smiled.

"Lucy Davenport?" he asked gently.

"The one and only," she replied cheekily, though without a smile as she got her feet, picking up her messenger bag and closing the book she had been reading. "Hopper, huh? What kind of name is that?" she asked, as she brushed past him and into the room. Her eyes quickly scanned the room before she dropped her bag almost carelessly on the floor and sat on the couch. She set her book aside and crossed her legs, playing with the rip at the knee of her jeans.

Dr. Hopper laughed good-naturedly as he closed the door behind him and resumed his seat. "I'm not sure," he replied. "So, what brings you here today?"

Lucy raised a brow at this as she studied the doctor. "Oh, well you know teenagers. WE have nothing better to do than spend our weekday evenings in therapy. It adds real spice to our life, don't you think?"

Once more, Dr. Hopper merely smiled, nodding his head as he picked up his pad and pen. However, he did not write anything as of yet, as he crossed an ankle over his other knee and leaned back into his seat. He could begin to see that the girl wore sarcasm and irony as a shield and he wondered why this was.

"I'm not sure if I would call it spice, but it is nice to have someone to talk to, don't you think so?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Her green eyes narrowed on the man opposite of her. A cold thought made its way like ice through her, but she thought better than to utter it. "You're a child psychologist, right? So when I turn eighteen, I won't have to see you anymore? I think you have your work cut out for you, if you intend to straighten me out in the short amount of time of a year," she commented.

"Is that what you think we're here for?" he asked, looking into her eyes searchingly.

"I'm only telling you what my father told me," she replied with a shrug, and a dramatic flourish of one of her thin, long-fingered hands. "I don't really care what I'm here for. It breaks the tiresome routine."

"What routine is that?" he asked, not wanting to ask her about her father just yet, sensing that there was something off there. However, he knew asking her of it, would probably not yield any benefits as of yet, this was after all only their first session.

"Oh you know, wake up, go to school. Attend a few afternoon school activities, which meet with father's approval, before returning to the golden cage," she said off-handedly with a wave of her hand.

"And by golden cage, I take it you mean your home?"

"Yes. Have you ever seen it? It's one of the biggest houses in Storybrooke. I think only Mr. Gold's place is bigger. Even Madame Mayor's is smaller by comparison."

"I think so. The one with the large fountain with a statue of Poseidon in its center, in the front lawn?" he asked.

"That's the one," she said, nodding her head.

"I've always wondered why a statue of Poseiden," he stated curiously, looking at her.

"We're descended of sea-fairing people. Father used to be a Captain of his own ship, it's how he made his fortunes. But that was along time ago, he's only a business-man now," she stated in dead-pan like she was reciting history in a class.

"Ah, I see," he replied, taking a few notes as her gaze wandered around his office. "So tell me a little about yourself Lucy. Do you have any hobbies?"

"I play the violin, I can dance ballet, I can sing. Father made sure he had us all well _rounded. _The only thing he hasn't taken the joy out of us doing, is swimming. And that's because there are no sports teams in Storybrooke or other schools for us to compete,"she replied.

Archie frowned at this while Lucy looked at her watch. She sighed, not even twenty minutes had passed and she was already bored. "When you say us, you mean you and your sisters? How many sisters do you have?"

"There are seven of us total. I'm the second youngest," she replied. "No brothers."

"Is it difficult, to have so many sisters?" he asked, writing a few more notes down.

"Not particularly. It can be vexing, but it's just as well we live in such a big House, that we could give each other space. Besides, if we didn't have each other, I don't think we'd have any friends."

"Why's that?"

"At school, other girls don't seem to like us. I think they're jealous because we're rich," she stated, leaving out the fact that those girls didn't know at the price that being so well-off came at. "Besides, father keeps us on strict schedules, and making keeping up friendships outside of home is difficult, if not impossible."

"I'm sure that's not true," Dr. Hopper said archly. Lucy raised a brow at this.

"My sister Minerva once had a friend, father didn't think that was the kind of girl his eldest and heir should be around. He put an end to it, as soon as he found out about it. I don't think he noticed, or maybe he didn't care, how much it hurt Min."

"Maybe your father was just trying to protect her. Perhaps he thought the girl was a bad influence," Dr. Hopper suggested. Lucy merely shrugged her shoulders, unsure what to respond to that.

It was a valid point, and considering it was Ruby they were discussing... However, Lucy still felt that her father had no right to forbid them friendships. And though she knew Ruby was not looked upon well by most people in Storybrooke for her part, Lucy didn't think it was anyone's right to judge someone for who they were, or what they did. And Ruby had always proved to be a loyal friend, one you could depend on, and who would go to any lengths to help.

"Lucy?" he asked, noting her mind had wandered off. She turned her gaze to him, however, her gaze maintained the far away look.

She could still remember the day Minerva's _friendship_ with Ruby came to an end. The memory of it haunted her. She had never, for as long as she could remember, seen Minerva cry. And not in such a heart-shattering way, that she'd been curled into a small ball, her head in Marina's lap. Lucy had felt her own heart breaking when she saw her oldest sister, the one who'd always been nurturing and looked after he when she was sick, reduced to such a small puddle of misery. She hadn't been able to abide the site of it. And to this day, it made her heart ache, like someone was squeezing at her heart.

It took her a moment to shake the feeling off and be able to focus on Dr. Hopper, who bore a concerned expression on his kind face. Lucy than cracked a small smirk at him. "To my father, any influence but his is unacceptable."

_**TBC...**_

**A/n: **Thank you for the reviews so far, they are much appreciated. Please continue to review and tell me your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3: The Deal

**Disclaimer: **Song featured in this chapter by Nirvana, its called "Polly".

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Mr. Gold asked, trying not to sound amused, the following week when the girl strode into his shop. She had a messenger bag, slung over one of her shoulders as she pranced up to where he stood. He was disappointed to find that she wore a set of jeans and an oversized t-shirt. When last he'd seen her, her skin had been glistening, and he'd longed to smell her. However, that was impossible and he had of course refrained.

"If father didn't run home like a prison, I wouldn't have to cut school to do the things that I need to do," she replied with a shrug and a bit tartly, unsure why Mr. Gold would care if she went to school or not. However, she pushed all this aside. "The guitar?" she asked, like usual, cutting straight to her point. He smiled at this, her manner was really growing on him. If only others were quite as quick in their deal-making. But then, he too enjoyed to play a little.

"It is still here, did you bring... your necklace?" he asked, looking at her searchingly, already knowing the response. He'd learned quite a bit of the Davenports, and they were one of the very few people in Storybrooke that he did not treat with. Mr. Gold, didn't like not knowing everything about everyone in the town which he considered secretly to be his, and he had done a little investigating. And the girl Lucy, was all the more fascinating because of what he found.

Lucy reached into one of her jean-pockets and withdrew the necklace. Without looking at it, she stretched her hand to him. Stepping closer to her, Mr. Gold took the jewel that she offered to him and regretfully turned his attention away from the girl.

With the eye of a jeweler, he evaluated the piece she had given him, and she was right. This necklace was worth at least twice the amount of the guitar. Not simply because of all the diamonds, but because it was a bit of an antique piece, and quite unique. "Do you know the history of this piece?" he asked her, to which she merely shook her head.

"Only it's name. It's called Tear of Triton, but I'm not sure why or even what it refers to," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders, which were almost lost in the shirt she wore. Mr. Gold looked over at her and nodded, his dimples showing. However, he then turned and walked away, slipping the jewel for the moment in his pocket to retrieve her guitar.

When he came back and held it out to her, a sudden question occurred to him. "Do you even know how to play it, dearie? Or is this a whim?" Mr. Gold asked with a raised brow.

"If you had an amp, I could show you," she replied. With that, one of his dimpled smiles she was getting to know well, spread on his face. For a moment she wondered if it was strange that she found those dimples cute.

Mr. Gold walked away then and dug around suddenly behind one of the counters, before pushing out something that looked quite old.

"Does that even work?" she asked with a raised brow and a small quirk up at the corner of her lips, as the amp he'd seemed to dig out of nowhere was shown to her. The thing looked like it came straight out of the fifties. He merely smiled at her as he plugged the thing in and handed her a cable that connected to the guitar. She merely shrugged before she dropped her bag in the middle of the floor, and slung the guitar strap over her head and adjusted it before taking the cable in Mr. Gold's hand and plugging it to the amp.

After adjusting the strings a bit, she pulled a guitar pick from her pocket and thought for a moment what she could play. After some thought, she decided, and started to strum. She picked a bit of a slow song, as her lessons in guitar hadn't been as extensive as those she took in violin, nor was allowed to practice it much at home. However, as she started to play the grunge tune, she wondered if Mr. Gold would hate it.

"_Polly wants a cracker, I think I should get off her first. I think she wants some water, to put out the blow torch. Isn't me, have a seed, let me clip... your dirty wings. Let me take a ride, cut yourself. Want some help, please myself_," she sang in a low, almost lazy tone, trying to mimic the famous singer's as her fingers kept working. "_Got some rope, you have been told. Promise you, I have been true. Let me take a ride, cut yourself. Want some help, please myself_."

She stopped and looked through a veil of hair at Mr. Gold. "Quite a dark song, isn't it?" he asked, a gleam in his eye as he watched.

"Well, it _is_ about a girl who got kidnapped, held in a basement or something and raped. However, she managed to escape," Lucy said, flipping her hair out of her face.

"In this is the kind of music young people listen to?" he asked, sounding amused to her.

"Well what kind of music, do _you_ listen to?" she asked pointedly.

"I don't actually listen to music," he responded. Lucy couldn't say she was particularly surprised. If she had expected the man to have any musical preferences, she thought perhaps it would be to classical music like her father. But then, Mr. Gold she felt wasn't truly as refined as he pretended to be.

For a moment, Lucy looked down at her newly acquired guitar and lost herself in thought as she wondered, where she would keep this now. Noticing the sudden thoughtfulness that came over her beautiful face, Mr. Gold furrowed his brow slightly. "What's wrong, dearie?"

"Trying to solve a new problem," she replied, not looking up at him so that she did not see the new sparkle that jumped into his eye at this. Gripping his cane with both hands and leaning against it, he momentarily wet his lips.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked softly, gently and sincerely as he could muster. However, the girl still did not look up at him.

Lucy couldn't take the guitar home, she knew this. If any of her sisters saw it, there would be questions, and she wasn't about to reveal what it had cost her. And if any of her sisters accidentally let slip to their father about the guitar, the guitar would be toast. She needed somewhere to stash it.

Looking up, for a moment she studied Mr. Gold, in a highly calculating gaze Mr. Gold expressed many times a day. To see such a gaze mirrored in a girl so young, and beautiful... it made the blood in his veins bubble with delight. A part of him, one trapped deep inside, wanted to jump and dance. However, he merely continued to stand immobile and looking curiously at the girl.

Lucy licked her lips for a moment, as she pondered how wise her conclusion was. However, she chose to follow her heart, something she'd thought she'd forget to do, before she was ever free of her father. "Mr. Gold, if I were to ask you to hold the guitar for me, just until I found a place to keep it, what would it cost?" she asked, knowing the man did nothing out of the charity of his heart.

"I'll tell you what, dearie," Mr. Gold responded slowly as his mind quickly considered her statement, a smile plastering on his thin lips that he tried to contain. Fearing for once he would fail to control himself at this wondrous opportunity, Mr. Gold allowed his longish brown locks to shield his face from her view as he turned slightly as if in thought. "I will keep the guitar here for you, for as long as you require, if you come, at least once a week and _educate_ me... on your modern music," he suggested, knowing this was the only way to keep her near, now that the guitar was hers.

Lucy paused to contemplate this offer, before nodding, thinking she would find some way around her grounding.

XX

The following morning's breakfast, was even more torture than usual.

For as long as Lucy could remember, breakfast had always seemed a tense and trite affair, which she'd always felt was far too formal for the early hour. However, it was the only meal of the day in which the presence of their father was a certainty, as he used this time to catch up with his daughters and spend time with them.

Lucy never wondered at the reason why her father's assistant, Christian, was present at breakfast as his job was as much looking after Lucy and her sisters, as it was looking after her father's business ventures. Lucy almost felt sorry for him for all the things she and her sisters tend to put him through. Almost.

However, on most mornings, where she was content to shoot snide remarks from her end of the table where she highly doubted her father could even hear her, this morning she merely sat and ate in silence. She knew how she could talk her father out of enforcing the rest of her punishment, but she was not looking forward to the sacrifices she would have to make on her end.

For the remainder of breakfast, Lucy pushed around the food on her plate. She found that she wasn't particularly hungry at the moment. Once breakfast was over, and the plates cleared away, Lucy knew the time had come. Once her sisters started filing out, she had to get to father before he left for work. Pushing away all her discomfort, she wormed her way before her father and stopped before his towering figure.

"Lucy," he addressed, looking at her with those cold blue eyes, that she remembered had at one time been so warm. Now, that just seemed like an eternity ago.

"I've been thinking about what I did," Lucy started, clasping her hands in front of her, standing with good posture while not holding her head too high so as to appear appropriately contrite. "And I know I crossed the line."

Her father narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, "If you are saying this to try and wiggle out of your-"

"Not exactly. Listen, I swear I will go to school everyday, not give any of my teachers a reason to complain, get the grades you want me to get, if I don't have to be grounded for the next two months. And if the Sheriff will allow it, I will volunteer at the station to expunge the arrest from my record. I could still do it, I'm a minor," Lucy explained, a bit in a rush as she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get the whole thing out.

"That isn't a problem you have to worry about, I could get that expunged-"

"Isn't the point to teach me a lesson? What lesson is that teaching me, if you simply pay to make it go away?"

Her father paused and thought. After a moment, he turned to the dark-skinned man next to him and looked at him questioningly. Christian for a moment eyed Lucy with slightly suspicious eyes, however, turned to her father and gave his nod of approval. Lucy made sure to keep from smiling at this, knowing that her father held his council highly, because Christian was so level-headed. Lucy wondered what her father would say if he knew that she and her sisters usually ran circles around Christian.

"If the Sheriff agrees to let you volunteer, than very well. But you still have to see Dr. Hopper, and if you do not uphold the rest of your end-" he said by way of warning. Lucy smiled.

"I will," she promised. "Thank you daddy," she smiled, before throwing her arms around his hard middle and burying her face in his chest. For a moment, her father froze at this unexpected show of affection. It felt like years since Lucy had hugged him, and even longer since she last called him daddy.

One could almost see the ice melt from Mr. Davenport's eyes as he leaned down at hugged his estranged daughter, enveloping her in large arms that seemed to make her disappear.

XX

"No."

"Come on, Graham. Help me out here," Lucy exclaimed as she followed the Sheriff around his station after explaining the situation and what she needed for him to do.

"No, Lucy. What am I supposed to give you to do when you're here?" he asked as he stood behind his desk and turned to look at the pretty teenage girl.

"There must be something I could do. Like, file stuff? Or pick up phones? Or even bring you coffee or run errands?" she suggested, pushing things out of her mind as soon as they came up. She hadn't expected that Graham would be in need of persuasion. At least, not about this particular point.

Graham paused and looked down into the girls big, green eyes begging him to do this for her. Already, he felt his will to say no crumbling at the look on her cute little face. "And what if he comes, or calls to check on you?" he asked, which caused a small smile to appear on her face as she knew she was getting quite close to getting her way.

"Well you could tell him I'm in the loo, or you had me run an errand and I'm not here," she explained slowly and calmly. "So? What do you say? Are you going to help me?"

Graham grimaced slightly, debating in his mind. However, in his heart, he already knew he would say yes. He just couldn't help it. He honestly felt sorry for the girls, and he could understand the desperation to be able to go out and do your own thing; he understood the need to be free. "All right," he said, but before she started jumping for joy he made sure to go on. "But no funny business. I don't want you doing anything illegal on the day you're not here," he mandated sternly.

"Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it," Lucy said with a smile. For a moment, she merely stood staring at Graham before the urge to hug him overwhelmed her and she did so, burying her face in his chest. "Thanks Graham. I really appreciate this."

Graham smiled slightly, before wrapping his arms around the girl's shoulder and patting her on the back for a moment. The hug was brief, and soon the girl pulled away. He sighed as he looked down into her face, and shook his head. "I'm already starting to regret this," he said, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head as he considered what could happen to him if her father found out that one evening of the three that she was supposed to be here, that she was off doing something else.

"Oh, but if you didn't, that mushy heart of yours would not let you sleep," she teased, poking him in the chest. Graham couldn't help but chuckle softly at this. "Well, I'll see you Thursday then?" she asked as she started backing away.

"Yeah, Thursday will be fine," he replied, nodding his head. She flashed him a last smile before waving and turning to head out the station.

Graham stood for a moment and looked after the girl. The sound of someone clearing their throat made him turn, however. "I know it's not my place, but you should be careful. Others may misunderstand your intentions with that girl," Marco advised with a slightly grave expression on his face.

"I'm just trying to help her. I feel sorry for her, her father runs their lives and has every second scheduled for them. She deserves a little bit of freedom; everyone does," Graham explained, though he felt slightly annoyed that he had to. However, he knew that Marco wasn't accusing him of anything.

"I know. But I'm just saying, be careful."

"I know, I will."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Noticed quite a few people put this on story alert. How about some feedback? :P


	4. Chapter 4: Double Session

**Disclaimer:** Song featured in this chapter is by Staind. It's called "Something to Remind You".

_A couple of months later..._

Dr. Hopper looked over at his patient, who today had chosen to lay down on the couch. She had her legs propped up and was staring at the ceiling. He had to admit, that the skinny jeans she wore, did not exactly look comfortable. In fact, they looked extremely binding and uncomfortable.

Over the last couple months, he'd gotten to know his patient. Her moods, her personality, her quirks, and quite a bit about her sisters, and dynamics of her relationships at home. And while her school work, and issues with authority seemed to have disappeared, and by all outwards appearances she seemed vastly improved, Dr. Hopper knew it was an act. One, he could not quite understand.

He knew the girl was very bright, and he was getting to know a few cunning and manipulative traits she showed. However, overall, he knew at heart she was a very good girl. From the way she spoke of her family, she knew her sisters meant a great deal to her. She may jest and act cold, but Archie saw beneath it all. Lucy would do anything for her sisters. She was one of the least selfish people he'd ever come across.

And so he knew whatever was troubling her as she stared at the ceiling, probably had something to do with one of her sisters. "Do you want to talk about it?" Archie asked.

"Talk about what?" Lucy deadpanned distractedly as she continued to frown at the ceiling and started to play with a strand of her hair.

"About what's bothering you," Archie replied.

"If I tell you, you'll probably tell my father, and I can't have that," Lucy stated, still not looking at Dr. Hopper. Instead, she thought about the last several weeks, wondering how she could have been blind to it for so long. Was she that busy being another of father's drones, that she forgot what it was to really look with your eyes at what was going on around you.

Shoving a hand in her hair, she closed her eyes as she scratched her head, as if that would get her brain to work. She refused to believe that she had taken too much on her plate. Shaking her head, she decided that she had been too keen on watching the Sheriff and the Mayor, to have properly paid attention to what was going on with her sister.

"Lucy, anything you say in our sessions will stay right here. No one else will know," Dr. Hopper coaxed. Getting Lucy to talk about things that were really important was very difficult. Archie almost felt that pulling teeth would be easier by comparison. "You're not alone, Lucy. You don't have to figure everything out by yourself."

"It's not me, it's Daphne. It's always Daphne," she said, muttering that last part under her breath as she opened her eyes and looked away. She almost wondered, if this secret was one she was better off not knowing about. She almost wished Daphne hadn't confided in her. Why couldn't she have confided in someone else?

She supposed she had. After all, Adelaide had been with them when she confessed. But Adelaide, when it came to boys, was completely useless. She was an utter fool.

Lucy shook her head, but this wasn't a boy Daphne had fallen for. A boy would have been simple. A boy wouldn't have been a problem. But a man? And one of their teachers? That was a problem, a very BIG problem, and Adelaide was no help. In fact, the opposite. She had _encouraged_ Daphne, of all things!

Archie furrowed his brow as he studied the look of consternation on the teenager's face. He heard of Daphne quite a bit, she was a year younger than Lucy, the youngest in fact of all the sisters. Lucy spoke of Daphne the most, apart from Minerva. Archie still wasn't entirely sure what exactly the dynamic was between the two youngest Davenport girls. He knew that to a certain degree, Lucy felt responsible for looking after Daphne's well-being. But he often wondered if she didn't feel a bit of resentment towards her younger sister, for being more talented; for being so whimsy; for having more of their father's attention or affection. It would be only natural, but he'd never really felt any bitterness from Lucy on the matter.

"Has she done something?" Archie asked, very much interested on what the youngest Davenport girl had done now, to trouble her sister.

Lucy sat up and shook her head as she sat curled on one end of the couch, playing with something in her hands. "No, not exactly, or at least not on purpose. But Daphne, she's gonna do what she will, without any thought at all to the consequences. That's what she always does, she's impulsive and headstrong and stubborn."

Archie smiled. "Some of the same traits that could describe you."

Lucy's eyes snapped to Dr. Hopper and she narrowed them on him. "I'm not impulsive. I think about everything I do, and what their consequences could be," she said defensively, to which Archie nodded in agreement.

"I know," Archie said with a friendly, knowing smile. Sometimes he wondered if perhaps Lucy thought too much, was too much in her head for her own good.

Lucy wasn't sure what to say, so she closed her eyes and went back to playing with the guitar-pick, twirling it in her fingers. She shouldn't be worried, she kept telling herself. Daphne wouldn't force herself on someone who didn't love her.

However, this thought didn't wholly make her feel better. Daphne thought that she was in love, if she did make a move and he rejected her, as he must, she would be heart-broken. Not something Lucy was pleased with thinking about. She already had one heart-broken sister, and Minerva at least knew how to deal. Daphne... Daphne would fall to pieces. And there was nothing Lucy could do.

"Can we cut today's session short?" Lucy asked getting to her feet and picking up her school bag. She didn't wait for a response before she turned around and left, telling Dr. Hopper she would see him next week.

She needed to get away. To find a way to get out of her head, for a while. To distract herself, and these last couple months, there was only one place she had found solace in.

XX

"Lucy!" Mr. Gold exclaimed in surprise, though his voice didn't raise anymore than it ever did. Lucy sometimes wondered if Mr. Gold could even raise his voice at all. "What a surprise, I didn't expect to see you today," he said with raised brows in his charmingly accented voice she had grown very fond of the last few months.

"Do you mind?" she asked, hoping he wouldn't. He shook his head in response, and a part of her seemed to have known he wouldn't. In fact, a part of her had grown to suspect that Mr. Gold had grown to like having her around. Although, with him, it was difficult to tell. He was the one book in Storybrooke she couldn't quite read, it was like he was written in ancient code, and she couldn't quite crack it.

"Feel free to go on back, there are a few things I have to finish here, and I'll be right with you," Mr Gold said mildly to which Lucy nodded and stepped past the curtain into a small hall it concealed behind. The hall had two doors, one at the end, and one immediately on the right hand side, which was Mr. Gold's office. The other door led to the back alley.

Lucy merely walked into Mr. Gold's office and placed her bag on the floor next a couch. Mr. Gold had moved the old amp to his office, and it was set up almost against a wall, on the other end of the couch. Walking over, she picked up her guitar from where it leaned against Mr. Gold's desk and moved it over to the couch.

Turning on the amp but making sure that the volume was pretty low, she plugged in her guitar and slung it over her shoulder before sitting on the edge of the couch. Looking down at it, and pulling her trusted pick from her pocket, one sea-foam green fashioned from sturdy glass, and started strumming and moving her fingers to coax a string of melancholic notes together.

She wasn't playing any particular song, at least not one she'd heard on the radio or anything before. The melody seemed to come from somewhere deep inside her, and her fingers merely continued to move, playing a series of chords and notes that seemed to mesh well together. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the sound she was making, the melody of it.

Lucy was so preoccupied, she didn't even notice when Mr. Gold joined her in his office. For a moment, he merely leaned against his desk, both his hands clasped together before him over the top of his cane as he watched her. As her face was tilted as if she were looking down at her strumming hand, her loose black hair hung slightly in her face.

He tilted his head slightly to the side and narrowed his eyes in thought as he strained to listen. The tune that she was playing, was a slow one. Mr. Gold couldn't quite put a finger on the emotion it was meant to evoke, but he sensed unrest in it... unrest and confusion, and a hint of pain.

"Are you all right, dearie?" he asked, thinking about the way she had breezed into his shop today. Usually, she only came on Wednesdays, as it was the only day she could get away. He knew that her appearance here was odd, and he was starting to think that perhaps something was wrong.

Lucy looked up at Mr. Gold, slightly startled. She wondered as her eyes met his muddy brown gaze in the dimly lit office lit only by an old-fashioned lamp on his desk, how long he had been leaning against his desk, staring at her.

Over the last few months, she'd grown quite accustomed to Mr. Gold's staring at her. She supposed it was really only natural, as usually they were alone together and as she was playing or singing something to him, what else would he look at? However, Lucy wasn't oblivious either. She could see the glint that was always in his gaze when he looked at her, and Lucy wasn't exactly sure what that was about. He was a man hard to decipher.

Thinking about the question he'd asked, Lucy felt at a bit of a loss what to say. He sounded sincere, but she knew better than to believe anything about Mr. Gold. It was all a facade, and she wasn't exactly sure what it was that he was covering up, but she knew enough to know that Mr. Gold was a dangerous man. Though, she was starting to wonder if he presented any danger at all to her. More and more, she thought not.

"How do you prevent someone you love from having their heart broken?" Lucy asked, with a furrowed brow. Because even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. It wasn't possible. A person can't prevent another's heart from breaking. A person can't even prevent their own heart from breaking.

Mr. Gold felt his jaw tighten for a moment as he stared hard at Lucy Davenport, who remained seated on his couch and had a troubled expression clouding her pretty face. For a moment, he shifted his feet and wondered from where this question was coming from. Was she talking about herself? Or a boy she'd fallen for? Or one of her sisters?

"I imagine that unless you lock them up, away from the whole world, that it is impossible," Mr. Gold replied, teasing slightly as he offered her one of his mild smiles. However, it didn't reach his eyes, which for once seemed cold to her. Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine, and felt that somehow she had displeased him. Something she was coming to find, she didn't want to do; she didn't like it. "What is this about, dear?"

Lucy leaned against the back of the couch. As she was sitting on the edge of it, this brought her to a near-lying positing. "It doesn't matter, there's nothing to be done. I'm probably just worrying for nothing," she said, with a wave of her hand.

Though a part of her wanted to share her problems with Mr. Gold, her mind told her better. Offering Mr. Gold private information on her family could be dangerous. While she had grown fond of the pawn broker, she made no delusions on his character. She knew the kind of man he was, and knew he was an opportunist. Giving him information was simply something she couldn't do very freely. It was like arming someone who could cause a lot of harm with weapons against you.

Not waiting for him to say anything more, Lucy started to play the guitar once again. This time, her fingers moved more surely as she sat up and played another melancholic song. Mr. Gold watched, momentarily very dissatisfied with their unfinished conversation. However, he knew better than to pry at this particular moment. So he turned and moved to sit behind his desk and watch her.

"_So this is it. I say goodbye. To this chapter of my ever-changing life. And there's mistakes. The path is long, and I'm sure I'll answer for them when I'm gone," _He had not yet sat down, when he heard her begin to sing. Her voice was one of the clearest, purest sounds he had ever heard. It was absolutely lovely, mesmerizing even. It always seemed to shock him when such a strong signing voice came out of the petite girl.

"_So when the day comes and the sun won't touch my face. Tell the ones who cared enough, that I __finally left this place. That's been so cold. Look in my face, all the stories it will tell I can't erase. The road is long. Just one more song. A little something to remind you when I'm gone. When I'm gone," _Sitting as his desk, he observed Lucy as she sang and played. Her eyes were glued to her fingers as she continued to sing.

"_The road to hell, along the way. Is paved with good intentions, so they say. And some believe. That no good deed, goes unpunished in the end, or so it seems. So when the day comes and the sun won't touch my face. Tell the ones who care enough that I finally left this place. That's been so cold. Look in my face, all the stories it will tell, I can't erase. The road is long, just one more song. A little something to __remind you when I'm gone, when I'm gone," _she sang, and like always putting so much feeling behind her voice, that the listener felt whatever it was she wanted them to feel.

"That is a beautiful, and sad song," Mr Gold commented, when she finished strumming and looked up at him with a small smile on her face. She wondered if it was odd that the happiest she had felt, in a very long time, was when she was in Mr. Gold's office, playing for him.

"It's from a band called Staind. It's from their last album. But Aaron Lewis, the lead singer, sings quite a few very beautiful and sorrowful songs. It's like his voice can reach across and touch your soul," Lucy explained. Mr Gold nodded, eyeing Lucy carefully. He knew from the first moment he laid eyes on her, that she was an unparallelled treasure. And the more she sang to him, the more he wanted to keep her for himself; the more he felt he couldn't live without her in his life.

"I've noted, you don't play love songs," Mr. Gold said suddenly with a tinge of curiosity to his voice, shoving aside thoughts that he'd rather not entertain. Lucy tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows slightly in confusion as she smiled.

"I'm sorry. Are you a romantic, Mr. Gold. Would you have liked to hear some love songs?" Lucy asked teasingly, drawing a slight chuckle from Mr. Gold which filled her with wonder. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard him chuckle. He smiled and smirked quite a bit, but usually his smiles seemed merely polite courtesy, than something genuine. And only his smirks seemed genuine, but those were usually out of amusement, and she imagined a lot of the times, it was at some joke inside his own head that only he was aware of. Like he knew things others didn't and he found them all amusing, running around in their ignorance.

"You mistake me, dearie. I was just wondering why you don't play any," he responded.

"Well I never noticed that I didn't," Lucy replied. "I suppose... it's because they seem mostly like lies."

"Oh?" Mr. Gold asked, tilting his head to looked at her, intrigued by this.

"They're like modern fairy-tales. They're lies that singers tell us, and somehow we allow these pretty words to fill us with this false hope for a kind of love that simply doesn't exist in this world," Lucy explained. "People who fall in love, don't stay in love. Those that do, take it for granted. And some just give up and won't fight for it."

Mr. Gold's eyes sparkled as he looked at the girl, and smirk blossomed on his face, showing the top line of his teeth in a way that made him look a bit wolfish. He was fascinated by her perspective. And the fact she mentioned fairy-tales and the lack of happy endings in _"this world" _tickled him.

"Have you ever been in love?" Mr. Gold asked quite suddenly, diverting his eyes for a moment as if to give her privacy. If Lucy was bothered at all by the quite personal question, or his curiosity on the subject, she did not show it.

"No," Lucy admitted without qualm; she'd never had so much as a crush. For a moment, she wondered if that was abnormal. Even Daphne, who was younger than her, liked someone. In fact, Daphne was convinced it was love and that she would never fall in love with anyone else so long as she lived. However, Lucy reasoned that she was too... cynical to fall in love, though a part of her envied her sisters conviction. "I've never kissed anyone either, I think at seventeen that's kind of pathetic," she commented, mostly to herself than to Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold looked slightly amused as he watched the teen from behind his desk. "Really? A girl as pretty as yourself?"

"I've never found any boys in school particularly attractive. I mean, there were some that were good-looking, but to me they just appeared like a bunch of immature and uncivilized animals," she replied with a derisive snort. "So I've never allowed any particularly close to me. They kind of think I'm an ice queen because of it."

Feeling he had gleaned enough information on the subject to feel satisfied, Mr. Gold decided to shift back the subject. "So you don't like love songs at all then?" Mr. Gold asked.

"Well... I do I suppose. Just never taken the time to learn to play any," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. However, as she looked down at her watch, she sighed. "I should start heading home. My father will wonder if I'm home late," she said, unplugging the guitar and setting it gently where she got it from before turning to grab her bag and turning the amp off.

When she turned back around, Mr. Gold was waiting for her at his office door. He flashed her a smile, and as usual, he led her to the back door and opened it for her. "Good evening, Lucy," he said with a dimpled smile.

"You too, Mr. Gold," Lucy replied with a smile, before passing by him and walking off, ignoring the sensation she felt in the pit of her stomach as she walked past him, or the fluttering she felt to see that dimpled smile.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Sorry for the long wait for the chapter. I've been in the hospital and I'm afraid my chronic condition will cause a bit of havoc when it comes to writing and updating. But please stay with the story, I will continue to write it. And please as always, review!


	5. Chapter 5:Of Epiphanies & Stolen Moments

Lucy stood staring blankly ahead of her, absent-mindedly mixing the contents of the coffee mug she held. Like the few days past, all she could really think of was Daphne and Mr. Newcastle, the music teacher. Coincidentally he was also in charge of Orchestra and the school Choir, not to mention Daphne's supposed t_rue love_.

She was starting to see that her sisters feelings were not one-sided. In the previous days choir practice, she noticed the way the music teacher looked at her sister with so much tenderness in his eyes. There was a pure and gentle kind of love that shined in his eyes when he looked at Daphne. And though he was never inappropriate or unprofessional with Daphne, Lucy could almost feel the quiet desperation he radiated. It kind of reminded her of...

A hand on her shoulder suddenly startled her out of her thoughts. Jumping in the air, the coffee she had been preparing for the Sheriff splashed her hands, the heat causing her to drop the mug and yelp. In seconds, the floor became drenched in coffee and broken shards.

"Oh god, Lucy, I'm so sorry! Here, let me," she heard Graham say in a rush as he grabbed her wrists and swiftly dragged her to the water fountain to place her hands under the spray of water, while Lucy grit her teeth and tried not to shout the expletives on the tip of her tongue. "I don't think there will be any permanent damage."

"Lucky it had cooled down some, and wasn't scalding hot," Lucy muttered when the sting went away some. Looking around the Sheriffs hands which mostly covered hers, she noticed with a grimace that her skin was bright red, but apart from that it seemed fine.

"I'm really sorry Luce, I thought you'd heard me approaching. I didn't mean to startle you," Graham went on his Irish lilt thickening, his dark eyes big and full of apologies as he grabbed some paper towels and patted her hands dry as gently as he could.

"It's okay, it's probably my fault for being so distracted," Lucy stated as she allowed herself to be led to the nearest seat, where Graham pulled out a First Aid kit from the desk she was seated at. She watched with a slight frown as Graham put a balm on her affected skin before carefully wrapping each individual hand.

"You think your dad will want my head when he sees you were hurt on my watch?" Graham asked from where he knelt before her, carefully going about the task of treating her mild burns.

Lucy paused to consider this, as she felt that Graham was actually slightly worried about this. And she supposed that it was not without reason. Father always became furious when the slightest little thing happened to one of them. However, she supposed her father wasn't unreasonable; at least, for the most part.

"Accidents happen," Lucy said with a shrug of her shoulders. "If he notices, I'll explain what happened."

"So my fate is in your hands?" he asked with a smile as he looked up at her with those big puppy dog eyes that could melt glaciers. Lucy couldn't help but smile when she noted he was mocking her.

"My _injured_ hands," she corrected teasingly, giving him a look that he should be a bit more careful in the way he addressed her. A look of mock-horror crossed his charmingly scruffy face.

"Oh, mercy, _please_," he begged before her. However, he then sprang to his feet. "Or maybe a bribe would work better with you," he stated, a bit skeptical of her mercy, before extending his hand to help Lucy get up from the seat. He chuckled at the intrigued sparkle that jumped into her gorgeous green eyes at the statement.

"Oh? What did you have in mind Sheriff?" she asked playfully, taking his hand gingerly and allowing him to help her to her feet. As she rose, she found herself standing closer to the Sheriff than either of them had expected.

Whatever Graham was going to say, escaped him for the moment as his brain seemed to short circuit at their new proximity. He'd never before stood so close to Lucy, and as he looked down into her big and expressive eyes, he noted a few flecks of gold in her eyes. They were absolutely mesmerizing, those eyes, causing all thought to continue to evade his mind. They reminded him so much of the deep green of the forrest.

It was as though this moment were suddenly suspended in time, and Lucy knew what was about to happen and knew that she should stop it for great many reasons. But she couldn't deny that a large part of her was extremely curious to know what it felt like. And that curiosity froze her.

She stood stock still, waiting with baited breath as Graham's face very slowly gravitated closer and closer to hers. Her eyes closed, just as their lips met. His arms seemed to ghost around her waist, as he moved his lips slowly against hers. Lucy found the contrast between his soft lips and the scratch of his beard and mustache a bit odd but not unpleasant. Though his arms wrapped around her, and brought her closer, there was still space between their bodies.

Suddenly a thought flitted through her mind... well not so much a thought, but the face of a man that over the last few months seemed to dominate her thoughts. Her stomach seemed to suddenly twist in protest, as she suddenly felt that this would displease him. And without further thought, she raised her injured hands and gently, but firmly disengaged herself from Sheriff Graham.

"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered, shaking her head and not looking up at him. She didn't understand why, but she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, which had little to nothing to do with what she knew she must be doing to Graham. A part of her felt that she had used him, and his soft heart to explore a part of something she had never had before and she had disregarded what it could cost him. "If anyone saw-"

"I know," Graham replied, stepping away from the teenage girl as he wracked his brain for an explanation. Why had he done something so stupid? "I'm sorry," he apologized again for what seemed like the millionth time in one day as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened.

"I think it's time you tell my father my record has been expunged, I don't think it's a good idea for me to keep coming," Lucy said, not able to look at Graham as she stepped away from him and looked around for her bag.

"Yes," he said, feeling lost as he watched Lucy walking around. He felt something like a knife twist in his heart as he watched Lucy almost frantically walking around, gathering her things and shouldering her bag. She couldn't look at him, and he felt a tremendous sense of hurt to know that he had broken what he had grown to think of as the only friendship he'd ever had. "Lucy, I'm really sorry. I don't know why I did it," he said, his Irish lilt becoming thick with his emotions, causing her to suddenly stop.

Lucy felt a sudden calm wash over, as she heard how lost he was. She felt something tug at one of the corners of her lips as she thought of Graham's heart-breaking predicament.

She felt lost as to her own sentiments. Not towards Graham, because despite how attractive she found him, her feelings towards him were platonic. However, as she looked over at Graham, she knew that she couldn't abandon him. She saw his situation, so much clearer than she could see her own. And she felt that if she had used him, she owed him at least this much.

"Come on Graham, it's fairly obvious why. It's because you have a heart, and your relationship, if you could even call it that, with the mayor isn't what you need. To her, you're just another employee who provides a _service_. And you need more than that. You want to share a love," Lucy explained from where she stood, trying to make the harsh words more gentle by her tone as she looked at Graham with a sad, pitying look. "But it's not with me. Believe me Graham, you'll find someone that really needs that big, mushy, noble heart of yours."

With that, Lucy turned and exited the police station and started making her way quickly home. Her head was a mess and as she walked, she wondered why she couldn't feel any romantic feelings for Graham. Graham who was so sweet, with a heart of gold. Graham who was arguably one of the most handsome and fittest men in Storybrooke.

And yet when he kissed her she hadn't felt the way it was supposed to be. Sure it was nice and sweet but... there had to be more than that. And she wondered what the hell was wrong with her? She wondered why she had felt so awful, like she was betraying someone. Who could she be betraying, she didn't have anyone in her life.

Once more, like before, a face flashed through her mind, but she shoved it away; shoved it deep down where no one could find it. _That_ was impossible. She didn't feel _that_ _way_ for _him_. She simply couldn't.

"You're home early. What happened?" Minerva asked as soon as she noticed Lucy walk through the front door. Lucy rolled her eyes at the suspicious look her sister was giving her, mixed with what looked like a prepared sense of disappointment.

"Do you always have to assume the worst of me Minerva? Hasn't the last few months earned me any credit?" Lucy griped, not much in the mood to deal with any of her sisters, much less Minerva who was going into full parental mode. She shut the door as softly as the mess of emotions she felt inside her would allow. "Sheriff Graham just said that I'm done. He'll probably call dad later to tell him so himself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna drop my stuff upstairs and go for a swim."

With that, Lucy took off up the main stairs and headed straight for her room, shutting the door behind herself. She was quick to discard her bag and her clothes and changed into one of her many swimming suits before grabbing a towel and heading towards the back staircase and heading down to the basement where they had their indoor swimming pool.

Lucy was relieved when she arrived and found that no one else was there. Walking over to one of the chairs around the pool, she dropped her towel and flip flops before diving into the deep end of the pool. It was one of the few places that she felt at home; underwater.

XX

"Lucy, you need to talk. You look very stressed, have for weeks now," Archie said, leaning on the edge of his seat as he stared at Lucy who was once more curled up on one end of the couch and running her hands through her hair.

It had been a little over a week since the incident with Graham. Her father and sisters seemed to accept that she was done volunteering without question. However, Lucy felt like she was going out of her mind. Between trying to continue to behave in school, and going against her lazy and rebellious nature by doing all her work, she was loosing it.

It didn't help either that she was concerned about Daphne. Nor that she was so confused about the feelings that Graham stirred with that ill-fated kiss, that she couldn't even abide the idea of going to see Mr. Gold. Somehow she felt that in doing so, he would see her sin like it was stamped across her forehead. And she knew that if he somehow were to know, that it would not bode well for... well she felt at least for her guitar.

But she needed it. She needed her guitar, needed to hold it in her hands, to play it. And her voice... she felt like it wanted to sing... for him. She'd only ever sung for him, she thought, with a furrowing of her brow. She'd never really been one for singing aloud before. Not when Daphne had a much prettier voice than her. She'd left all the signing to Daphne, and was content to just play the violin. But it seemed Mr. Gold had changed that. And Lucy wasn't sure how, or when much less why.

"It isn't good to keep it all bottled inside," Archie went on, feeling a desperation to help his young patient. However, it was so frustrating when the girl bottled it all up so tightly inside.

Lucy slowly looked over at Archie, and she knew that he had a point and that being that he was a psychiatrist he'd probably have a lot of helpful insight. However, as she twisted her guitar pick in her hands, she knew telling him was dangerous. What if he reported Graham? Or Mr. Newcastle? And how could she even bring herself to mention Mr. Gold?

But who said she had to mention names? She reasoned with herself as she chewed on her lip and thought it over. After a moment, she swung her legs off the couch and sat on the edge of it, facing Dr. Hopper and looking at him with dead serious eyes. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she neared the therapist a bit more.

"A boy kissed me, but... I didn't really feel anything. I've never really liked anyone, and though I care about him a lot, all I really felt when he kissed me was this immense sense of guilt. Like I was betraying someone. But that's impossible. I'm NOT _with_ anyone," Lucy explained in a furious rush, wanting to get something finally off her chest. Daphne's problem she decided, was not hers to share.

For a moment, Archie blinked as he stared at the girl wondering why this had been such a big deal. So she kissed a boy? That's what teenagers her age should be doing. However, he supposed that Lucy's life wasn't exactly normal. There was a lot of pressure on her, on her father's part, to be exceptional. Archie took her problems, very seriously.

"Perhaps you feel you betrayed someone, because your heart is already set on someone," Archie explained, thinking it was the only logical thing. However, at the look she gave him, he winced.

"There's no one. I don't have feelings for anyone," Lucy snapped.

"Are you sure you'er not in denial?" Archie asked, because to him it definitely sounded like she was. She was protesting the idea far too fervently.

"I think when your heart falls for someone, it will let you feel it," Lucy commented dryly. However, by the end of the sentence, she found her stomach churning as she thought of the last few times she had been with Mr. Gold; her mind sneered at her.

Being near him made her heart beat faster. She felt warm and fuzzy, simply knowing that his gaze couldn't stray away from her when she played for him. And Lucy had never been able to quite deny that there wasn't a certain something about Mr. Gold that made him attractive. She could forget his age, when she saw him in his finely tailored suits, which hinted at a wonderfully lithe body. He always looked quite sharp and never even minutely disheveled. His hair looked soft, and the long length to her was so punk-rock, she loved it.

Then there was his dimpled smile, that made her heart flutter like a dimwitted bird. Or the wolfish grin, that made her body feel like it was set on fire from the inside. And his smirk, that seemed to mimic hers and made her feel like they were the only two people in Storybrooke who knew that this existence was a great joke at all the townspeople's expense.

Lucy suddenly jumped to her feet, as she realized what an idiot she was being. Why had it taken her so long to notice this? Why had she blinded herself to it?

"I have to go," Lucy said, picking up her school bag. Before Dr. Hopper could say anything to stop her, Lucy was running out the door. She couldn't deal with this now. She needed to get out. Get out the house, and mostly get out of her head.

She needed to forget about everything, just for one night and she knew just the way how.

XX

Mr. Gold sat in a crescent booth, with expensive and plush black leather couches and a low table before him. His cane rested on the seat, next to his bad leg, which at present was extended. It had been feeling a little stiff of late.

Ignoring the blaring music, he nursed his glass of scotch as he looked over the balcony and down at the dance floor, watching the sea of people as they danced. For a Tuesday night, the club was quite full. From his VIP section, he was able to avoid the large crowd, which he never really cared for. In fact, he didn't care for the loud music, or the drunken slobs, however, this was one of his _investments_. And he needed to check on all of his _investments_ now and then.

For whatever reason, he thought tonight would be a good night. Though it had been a long business day, his last stop gave him an unexpected bout of energy. He returned home after his visit to Granny's Inn, intending to finally call it a night, but the visitor of Storybrooke had riled up his mind. Tonight, sleep would not come easy. And so, choosing to change his attire, he thought it was about time he put an appearance in the nightclub he'd invested in a few years ago. He never did get much of a chance or desire to check on it before. But tonight... tonight it felt like it was where he was meant to be.

The strobe lights bothered his eyes as he tried to survey the crowd dancing, or crowding the long bar. However, their effect was somewhat lessened in the VIP sections, raised half a floor up from ground level. They were shrouded in some darkness, and lit only dimly by the lights on the floor, and small elegant gas lamps at the center of the tables.

For a moment, his eyes turned to the cages raised on pedestals a little over the dance floor, where female dancers danced to provide some entertainment to the crowd in skimpy costumes. Mr. Gold found that the people most interested seemed to be drunken men and he sneered at this before turning his gaze away, these displays held no interest for him. His eyes drawn to the center of the dance floor where a flash of black and red caught his attention.

Finishing his drink, Mr. Gold grabbed his cane from beside him and exited his booth. He walked over to the balcony edge, and rested his free hand on the railing as he tried to focus his gaze. There in the center of the dance floor, wearing skimpy clothes and high heels as always, was Ruby. However, that was not what he cared about. She was dancing, surrounded by three other girls, rotating alluringly around her like three hands of the clock.

One was a tall slender blonde, wearing a bright red shirt with denim shorts; he noted, her dark roots were showing in her hair. One was a brunette he had seen before, a girl who had come rushing into his shop in search for his treasure. And just as the girls rotated around Ruby, the third girl came into view.

The dark hair he had come to know so well, was currently gathered up in one long slender hand, which attempted to keep it away from the girl's neck. The girl was wearing a tight and short, purple, halter dress with a set of black stilettos almost as tall as Ruby's. She had her eyes closed, as she continued do dance, her slender and fit body moving to the music as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Mr. Gold furrowed his brow as he watched her, his heart skipping a beat as he'd very much missed her company and never expected to see her here. After a moment, he allowed his eyes to look around her, and noticed that a few of the males dancing nearby were staring at the quartet of girls quite overtly.

For a moment, he merely coldly regarded the situation. He hadn't seen Lucy in well over a week, a breach of their deal that left him feeling less than forgiving towards the world around him. He had of course looked into the reasons for this, and found that she was no longer volunteering for the Sheriff and while this explained a lot, he did not understand why the girl had not yet come to him. Because knowing Lucy, she'd find a way to him if she really wanted to. Which meant she was either busy doing something else, or she had no desire to see him, neither option appealed at all to him.

At the moment, he was at a loss for what she was doing _here_. How had she escaped her fathers roof, for a night of clubbing? And how did she get into the club, when she wasn't even old enough to be in here? The club was for eighteen and over, and Lucy as far as he knew was still underaged.

Turning around, Mr. Gold motioned to one of the tall, clad-in-black men with radio's plugged into their ears at the top of the stairs, who kept the rabble from the VIP section. The man, noticing Mr. Gold's signal immediately walked over. "What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" he asked, all but shouting at Mr. Gold who grimaced slightly at this.

"The girl, in purple, have her brought to me. Don't alarm the other girl's around her, just tell her her presence is requested in VIP section," Mr. Gold said, pointing at the girl, raising his voice only enough so the man could overhear him. That is, if the man leaned in very close and strained his ear, but that was his problem. "And have one of the bartenders bring me more scotch," he commanded, turning around and not waiting for confirmation about what he requested as he headed back over to his seat the stiffness in his leg almost all but forgotten.

He wasn't worried either about what they would think, or that it would get out that Mr. Gold solicited the presence of young girls in his club, not that he usually did. The few workers in the club that knew of his presence, knew better than to spread it. Or what it was that he did there.

Seating himself in the shadows of his booth, he let his cane rest on the seat and leaned back. He didn't care to watch the exchange between one of the security guards with Lucy. He knew that they would do as he told them. However, what he really wondered at was whether or not, Lucy would come. A part of him expected she wouldn't meet some stranger just because he was a VIP of the club she currently was at. But then, he also knew of her curious nature, and he had a feeling that would win out. And the truth was, he needed it to win out because he had no particularly desire to try and navigate through a crowded dance floor with his cane.

The bartender showed up first, and refilled his glass. Mr. Gold wasn't surprised by this. However, the man was still there when Lucy showed up. The look on her face when she saw him, was not quite what he expected. For the first time since he had met her, she looked a little nervous. However, the look disappeared from her face before he could really evaluate it and was replaced with a bleary smile.

Maneuvering her way around the slim but sturdy bartender, she moved around the crescent booth so that she was seated next to him. "Mr. Gold, I should have known it was you," she said, speaking loudly so her voice carried over the music. Being a singer, projection was easy to her.

Mr. Gold flashed her one of his small and insincere smiles before he turned his attention to the bartender who he felt was lingering longer than necessary, staring at Lucy like she was a sweet he wanted to eat. "You can go," Mr. Gold called out in a steely tone, causing the young man to turn and nod, before turning and rushing away, probably fully aware of his gaffe. For a moment he considered having the young man fired, but after a moment decided he had better things to do.

"I think you owe me an explanation, my dear," Mr. Gold said to her, however, she didn't seem to hear. She scooted along the seat, so that she was closer to him and asked him to repeat himself. Sitting up, Mr. Gold leaned quite close to Lucy, so he could speak in her ear and not have to raise his voice. "I said, I think you owe me an explanation, my dear," he repeated.

Lucy tried to control the shiver that threatened to cut through her at the feel of his warm breath on her skin. However, her head felt like it was full of fuzz, and she was starting to slightly regret that last shot of vodka. She had to hand it to her sister Trista though, she could be quite dim, but she could be very useful.

Finding that Mr. Gold had pulled away and was looking at her expectantly, Lucy momentarily turned away and cast a glance at the dance floor. Her sisters and Ruby were still dancing, seemingly oblivious of her absence. They hadn't noted when the security approached her and gave her his message, and though she had muttered to Trista that she was going to the washroom, she hadn't been completely sure if Trista had even heard her.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she said being deliberately obtuse, turning to lean into him and speak closely to his ear. She found that the three shots of Vodka made her a little less graceful and she felt her nose slide against his hair, which she found smelt strongly almost of peppermint and fresh rain, along with a bit of his expensive cologne.

Mr. Gold turned and looked at Lucy as she pulled away. For a moment, he wondered what topic he should bring up, and decided that the more pressing one would have to wait. Leaning into her once more, careful to avoid physical contact he asked, "How did you get in? You are not old enough to enter this club."

Lucy paused to consider this. The truth was, Trista had been here many times before either with Adelaide, or Elaine. When Lucy had asked her earlier if there was a way she could go to the club, Trista mentioned being on good terms with one of the bouncers. However, Lucy didn't want to reveal this to Mr. Gold in case she got someone in trouble. Instead, she chose to lie. "Fake ID," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, suddenly as she pulled away and looked at Mr. Gold questioningly. This wasn't exactly his scene, and she felt the alcohol had slowed her brain some, as she had thought only just now to ask.

Mr. Gold studied Lucy for a moment as he thought about her too cavalier response, but chose to let it slide. He smirked slightly, showing off a few of his gold teeth, which glinted oddly in the dim light of the gas lamp on the table. "I own this place, in part," he said, leaning over slightly for a moment to inform.

Lucy laughed suddenly at this, shaking her head. "Of course you do," she said, leaning into him to speak and bumping her shoulder against his in the process, from the momentum that set her off balance. For a moment, she grit her teeth in annoyance at her sudden clumsiness.

Mr. Gold merely smiled and nodded his head, noticing only now that Lucy was slightly drunk as she was not as well balanced as what was usual for her. However, he wasn't too concerned as he looked at the amused and knowing smirk on her face. Her eyes weren't bleary, they sparkled. Furthermore, her speech wasn't slurring and she had been able to walk to him on her own without falling as far as he could see.

Reaching for his forgotten scotch on the table, Mr. Gold took a slow sip as he considered the night. He met a visitor of Storybrooke by the name of Emma who brought change with her; and he ran into a somewhat intoxicated Lucy at a club, after over a week of longing desperately to see her. Tonight was certainly... unexpected.

"You haven't come to see me," Mr. Gold commented, turning his head to speak in her ear once more. This time, it was hard not to notice the effect it had on her, as he saw goosebumps sprout on her bare shoulders. She was showing a lot of skin, a fact he had been able to bypass until now as her scent wafted to him.

He could smell the faint scent of coconut and sea on her, smell a fruity flowery scent which he imagined was a mixture of the shampoo she used, and the perfume she wore. However, beneath it all, he caught the subtle scent that was all _her_. He could smell the exertion from her dancing, and it was a heady scent that almost corrupted his senses, but he pulled away wisely. It would be unwise to become intoxicated by her.

Lucy felt her breathing suddenly hitch, and her heart begin to pick up its pace. Turning, her head slightly, she found Mr. Gold was a respectable distance away, looking at her and awaiting her response. However, there was something in his eyes that seemed to shoot straight down her center as he looked at her.

"I've found it difficult to get away," she said after a moment. Speaking loudly this time, thinking that if she got close to him once more that she might just do something ill-advised.

"And yet, here you are," he said skeptically while motioning with one hand at their surroundings. Lucy mentally cursed, aware that he had her.

"I've had a lot on my mind and I needed tonight," she explained, motioning with one hand to the club around them. "And I think, I should be getting back to my sisters and Ruby," she said, getting suddenly to her feet.

Mr. Gold swiftly set aside his glass of scotch, snatched up his cane and stood at the same moment as she did, forgetting all about his stiff leg. His hand shot out to grab her, when she wobbled on her high heels. It was then that he noted that her shoes, put her exactly at his eye-level, or a little over it when she looked at him with startled green eyes.

"Careful, dearie," he warned, holding onto her elbow firmly. As Lucy looked at him, some of her hair in her face, a strand stuck to her lip, he felt his blood begin to run hot. He felt a thrumming of sudden fervent desire for this girl, the likes of which he had never experienced before. It was deep rooted, and intense, that it was hard to contain as he continued to look into her big, beautiful eyes.

Looking down, Lucy used her free hand to run a hand through her hair and pull it back from her face with one swift move. "Good night, Mr. Gold," she finally managed to say, when she was sure that her feet were firmly planted on the floor.

Reluctantly, Mr. Gold let go of her elbow and turning around, Lucy walked slowly away, careful not to twist an ankle in the tall shoes she wore. She focused all her attention so fully on this, that she didn't allow herself to glance back at Mr. Gold as she moved to rejoin her sisters and Ruby. Suddenly she felt drained, and all she wanted to do was go home.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Think of Me

**Disclaimer:** Song featured in this chapter from the Phantom of the Opera, "_Think of me_", I've trimmed some of the parts off though. Like Raoul's parts.

"Lucy! The clock, of the clock-tower, its WORKING!"

Lucy buried her head under the pillow the following morning. Her head was ringing, and her sister's high pitched and excited squeals weren't helping anything. "Daphne, go away," she groaned from under her pillow, only to have it snatched up.

"Did you hear me? The clock-tower is working!" her sister exclaimed happily. Through the fog, her message got through to her sister. Lucy's aching mind suddenly forgot momentarily about the heavy cotton feel, and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Lucy sat up and stared through her still dark room at her sister Daphne, who was staring at her with her big blue eyes sparkling with delight.

"What do you mean the clock-tower is working? That thing's never worked," Lucy said, still looking very groggy that Daphne suddenly furrowed her brow.

"You don't look very well," Daphne said with concern. Lucy waved her sister away and got to her feet. Dragging her feet against the plush carpet on her floor, she walked around her large bed and over to her window where she withdrew the heavy purple drapes. For a moment, the sunlight blinded her and caused a sharp pain inside her head. However, after her eyes adjusted some to the light, she squinted into the distance where she could more or less see the clock tower.

It took Lucy a moment for her brain to catch up with what she was seeing. When it did, her eyebrows shot into her hairline and her eyes widened in surprise. "Well I'll be damned," she muttered to herself more than to her sister as she saw that the clock tower was actually telling the right time. With a sigh, Lucy realized that she only had twenty minutes to get ready for breakfast. And considering the fact that she probably smelled like alcohol, she felt that a shower was not optional this morning.

Pushing Daphne out of her room, Lucy closed and locked the door behind her sister before taking off her pajamas and tossing them down the laundry shoot tucked discreetly away in her closet. Once she was stripped down to nothing, she put on her lavender bathrobe with her name engraved in gold cursive on the left breast and headed to the communal washroom she shared with Daphne, Adelaide, and Trista.

As soon as you entered the bathroom, there was an aisle which separated shower stalls from toilet stalls. Each shower had frosted-glass doors and overhead were the names of to whom each shower stall belonged, in order to avoid confusion. However, Lucy walked past all this and headed to the back of the washroom, which was more spacious.

A bank of four sinks and one long mirror was at the back, lined over the top with lightbulbs. In the center, there was a large pink ottoman in the shape of a clam. However, Lucy bypassed all this and headed to her sink. Picking up her purple toothbrush, she was quick to wash her teeth. She was in the process of rinsing when she felt someone come up behind her. Casting a glance at the mirror, she was surprised to find Trista behind her, her short, straight, peroxide-blonde hair still in tangles. She too was wearing her own engraved bathrobe, hers the color of red coral; a color Lucy had always thought hideous, but oddly it suited Trista well.

"You should drink lots of water today," Trista advised with a pat on Lucy's shoulder, before walking away to her own sink. Lucy made a mental note to drink a lot of water as she made her way over to her shower stall for a quick shower, figuring Trista would know what she was talking about when it came to hangovers.

She was through with her shower fairly quickly and wandered back to her room to change. When she had finished getting ready for breakfast and school, she found she still had minutes to spare. However, she decided against staying in her room and headed straight to the dining room for breakfast, not wanting to be alone with her own thoughts after last night.

She wasn't particularly surprised when she reached the dining room and found Christian, and Minerva already in their seats. Christian and Minerva were always one of the first to breakfast. Whereas Elaine and Trista were always amongst the last.

"Good morning, Lucy," Minerva greeted as Lucy sat at the other end of the table at her designated seat. Lucy barely muttered a greeting in return as she grabbed the pitcher nearest her and served herself a tall glass of cool water. Her head still ached mildly, like there was a plastic mallet banging on her brain, causing it to throb dully.

As Lucy took deep gulps of her water, she wondered if Minerva knew that Adelaide, Trista and herself had snuck out last night and hadn't gotten back to nearly two in the morning. However, considering Minerva wasn't looking at her with disappointed eyes, she supposed Minerva was none the wiser.

"Did you see the clock-tower?" Lucy asked conversationally as she set down the now empty glass of water, and pouring herself some more form the crystal pitcher.

"What about it?" Christian asked from where he sat at father's left-hand side. Lucy for the moment thought dryly how asinine it was to have a conversation from across this gigantic table.

"It's working," Lucy commented with a shrug.

"What?" two voices called simultaneously before she heard the sound of two chairs scraping carpet as they both got up and rushed to the large windows of the dinning room. Like from her room, the clock tower was somewhat visible in the distance from the dining room, as both their windows faced the same direction.

Lucy was vaguely aware of her sisters gasp as they were suddenly joined by a yawning Marina. "What?" Marina asked, for a moment tripping over the carpeting before righting herself.

"The clock-tower, it's working," Christian commented, astonished. However, as Marina took her seat next to Minerva, she shrugged her shoulders.

"I already noticed that."

"Noticed what?" Lucy looked up to see Adelaide walk in, taking her seat next to Lucy. Lucy cast a glance at Adelaide and wondered how early she had woke today, in order to get up, shower, dry her hair and curl it before throwing it up in her usual, elegant ponytail. However, she put it out of her mind as she watched Adelaide reach for the crystal pitcher between them and filling her own glass with a bit of water.

They were joined moments later by Daphne who sat across from them. All of a sudden, a clatter rose as all her sisters, with the exception of Elaine and Trista who had not shown up yet, all spoke excitedly about the clock-tower. For her part, Lucy wished she hadn't brought it up. However, when the dining room suddenly became silent, Lucy was grateful for the entrance of her father.

"Good morning, girls," he said in his deep voice as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"Good morning father," Lucy chorused along with her sisters, stifling a sudden yawn of her own.

"Where's Trista and Elaine?" he asked sternly as he noted the two empty seats at the table.

"Trista is finishing getting dressed," Elaine replied, gliding into the room and taking her seat between Christian and Adelaide. Her father merely nodded at this and clapped his hands. A couple carts were rolled in by Cook and Mrs. Jamison, who started placing covered plates along the center of the table. Lucy felt so tired, she didn't have the energy to smile at Mrs. Jamison when she asked her to refill their pitcher of water.

She also found that the mere thought of eating seemed to disagree with her stomach. However, she tried to swallow a few bites, knowing that if she was going to stay awake at school she would need the energy.

Unfortunately, no matter how tired she was and how much she tried to concentrate in school, she felt that flashes of last night kept wiggling their way through the cracks in her barrier to block out last night. Her heart raced at the thought that she had been secluded with _him_, almost as though they were in their own little world. The fact that they kept practically whispering in each others ears in the dark made her body flush and tingle. There had been something entirely too seductive about the scene to put it from her mind.

Lucy was acutely aware that these sensations were all new to her, and therefore turning her head with success. But she needed to keep her feet planted firmly to earth. Mr. Gold was old enough to be her father, and though sometimes the way he looked at her made her insides tremble, she knew better than to think anything of it. Mr. Gold would not be interested in her, she was probably nothing more than a child in his eyes, even though sometimes she felt like she had been seventeen for an eternity.

But it didn't really bare thinking of, she felt. Even if by some chance Mr. Gold returned her feelings or was even in the slightest bit attracted to her, it would be folly. She could ruin the man, and though she felt many in Storybrooke would rejoice at this, she had no desire in hurting anyone. Much less Mr. Gold.

XX

Mr. Gold couldn't shake his sense of satisfaction as he walked away from the his little chat with the Mayor. Though he was majorly upset about Lucy's inexplicable avoidance of him, the arrival of Emma Swan and the havoc she was beginning to wreak in only her two days in Storybrooke had him plenty entertained, even distracted. What she had done to Madam Mayor's prized tree, made something inside him positively gleeful. The fact that she got away with it, was even further fascinating.

Calmly and at a leisurely pace, Mr. Gold made his way through the winding streets, making his way to his own estate. The night air was soothing tonight. The wind was not blowing, and made the temperature almost spring-like. The walk from Madam Mayors to his own home, was quite a lengthy one, but Mr. Gold didn't mind, and the stiffness in his leg from the previous day had worn off.

He had just made his way down the street and turned around a bend, when he noticed a silhouette shuffling past trees that lined the sidewalk across the street. For a moment, Mr. Gold stopped where he stood and studied the slender figure, shrouded in near complete darkness. Drawing his eyes away from the figure for a moment, he looked beyond the trees and the shrubbery, to see a gated driveway. Beyond that, he knew there were extensive grounds of the Davenport estate.

Quickly, his eyes flicked back to the figure, who he saw now had stopped and was standing in the shadow of a large tree. He had a distinct impression that he knew the figure, now shifting restlessly under the tree before suddenly seeming to decide to walk over with measured steps. As the unknown person stepped into the street, and finally caught the light from the nearest street-lamp, Mr. Gold felt his heart suddenly become arrested.

Lucy, as always, turning up when he least expected her to. Clad in a somewhat loose set of checkered, white, purple, and electric blue lined pajama bottom pants. On her feet, she wore her usual canvas sneakers, and she wore a plain, tight, long-sleeved purple shirt. It didn't take her too long to be standing on the sidewalk before him, not four feet away, still shifting on one leg to another with her hands shoved in the pockets of her pajama bottoms.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" he asked genuinely curious as he shifted his weight to his good leg.

"I saw you, walking in the opposite direction a little while ago, and I thought maybe I would catch you on your way back," she replied steadily, her gaze flickering for a moment to her feet.

"Oh? And what for?" he asked, trying to sound less interested than he was and remain polite.

"You know everything that goes on in Storybrooke. I'm sure you know I've finished volunteering with Sheriff Graham," she started, trying to sound as calm and collected for what she was about to do, even as her heart hammered in her chest in violent protest.

"Yes I heard something about that, it came as quite a surprise," he replied, trying to look into her eyes. However, in the darkness of the evening, and with the street-lamp behind her, her eyes just looked big and dark. He couldn't distinguish even a hint of their marvelous green. Nor could he decipher any emotion. He was still trying to gather the puzzle pieces of what had happened, and he wondered if she was going to explain to him what was going on. However, knowing how tight-lipped she could be, he guessed not.

"Well, considering that in part I was using that to cover my visits to your shop, I don't think I'll be able to come anymore," she told him. Though his face remained impassive, Mr. Gold felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, HARD. Taking a few steps, so that he was standing closer to her, even enough to be crossing into her personal space, Mr. Gold looked down into the teenager's eyes. He saw her stiffen as he came near, but ignored it and the fact that her hands remained firmly in her pockets. There was a whirlwind of emotions that were taking up all his faculties to stifle, for him to be particularly concerned with whether or not he was frightening her.

"Dearie, we had an agreement," he reminded her in a quiet tone, that sent shivers down her spine, a mixture of fear and longing; she wanted him to step closer, or for him to lean down. However, she knew that this was for the best, it was time to distance herself.

"I know, I'll be by to pick up the guitar. I'll find somewhere else to keep it," Lucy responded, taking a few steps away from him. "Good night, Mr. Gold," she said, even as each step away from him physically hurt, and her heart plummeted somewhere unknown as she turned to walk away. Probably to remain on the pavement in front of him.

For a moment, Mr. Gold stood frozen; froze by either his fury, or the clenching in his chest that made it ache something terrible. Or perhaps it was the horrible sense of loss he felt as he watched Lucy disappear through trees and bushes to return home.

Mr. Gold frowned as he continued to walk, feeling suddenly weary. However, he wouldn't give up easily. Lucy would be his, one way or other. There was simply no living without her in his life anymore.

XX

On Saturday morning, as Lucy and a few of her sisters made their way down main street, she broke away and snuck off to the pawn-shop. She had been unable to get away earlier, and being it was the weekend, father didn't mind allowing them group outings. Slipping away from her sisters unnoticed when there were so many of them, wasn't horribly difficult.

Though the weather was still temperate as she took hurried steps that led her closer to an encounter she dreaded, she huddled deeper into her fitted black sweater. The encounter couldn't be helped, there was no avoiding it. She had property to pick up, and even though she couldn't keep it with her, she needed it. In a way, it would all she would have left of him.

As she came to stand outside his door, she didn't take a minute to even pause. She felt it was best to just dive in and get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid.

Stuffing her still slightly red hands into her sweater pockets, Lucy carefully stepped into the shop. She wasn't entirely surprised when she saw the guitar, resting on the counter. However, she couldn't contain the shiver that coursed through her body when she heard his quiet voice call out, "It's been waiting for you," in that scottish brogue that made strange things happen inside her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't break away sooner," she replied, turning to look over her shoulder slightly as he walked around the counters to stand opposite her. Sometimes his swiftness still startled her, and it made her smile to see how masterfully he had created his image. "I suppose I should just take it and go," she said, puling her hands from her pockets.

However, before she could grab the guitar, she felt one of her hands snatched up. Looking up, she was startled by his actions and further surprised by the deep furrow of Mr. Gold's brow over his eyes as he stared at the hand he had caught. "What happened to you?" he asked quietly, in a tone that broached for no argument as his dark eyes looked up at her slowly. The hard yet concerned expression on his face sent an odd mixture of fear and tenderness through her.

"A coffee accident, it's nothing," she replied, shaking her head as she tried to pull her wrist from his grasp. However, his hold on her wasn't budging as he stared at her with hard brown eyes. For a moment, Lucy cursed in her head. She hadn't wanted him to see, she had been so careful. She didn't want the questions, and by the way he was looking at her, the suspicious glint in his muddy brown eyes... she felt as though he knew.

For a moment, the pair merely stood, standing at the counter opposite each other merely looking in the other's eyes intensely. A battle of wills. However, Mr. Gold allowed his hold to slacken, this wasn't the battle to choose. She could keep her secret for now, sooner or later he would know it.

"I'm sorry, my dear. But it is a bit of a concerning burn, I hope you had it checked out," he said gently, letting her hand lose even though it pained him. Just to touch her, just once, injured skin and all filled him with such longing it physically hurt.

"It really wasn't a big deal," Lucy replied with a nonchalance she didn't feel; taking back her hand, her heart pounding so loudly she was afraid he would hear it, or that it would simply leap from her chest and at the man opposite to her. A part of her almost recoiled at the thought that her heart knew it had a different master.

Mr. Gold nodded in response at this, but disregarded it. It may not have been a particularly severe burn, in fact he was quite sure it was a mild one. However, he knew there was something more behind it. But for the moment, he would let it go having already decided that sooner or later, he would know the truth behind it. Storybrooke was very small, and there wasn't a whole lot he didn't know about it and it's inhabitants.

"Will you sing for me, Lucy," he suddenly requested, startling Lucy so that a blush creeped up her cheeks, the first he ever saw.

"You sure know how to put a girl on the spot," Lucy commented, teasing slightly as she looked away. The request was truly unexpected. Reaching a hand up, she rubbed the back of her neck for a moment. "I really didn't prepare anything-"

"I'm sure you could think of something, and you have such a lovely voice," he commented. "Please."

As Lucy looked back into his eyes, heard the soft tone in his voice, she could see for once that he was sincere. There wasn't the slightest doubt about it in her mind. Without thinking, she found herself nodding. Turning for a moment, she stepped away as she racked her brain. "I'm sorry, this is the only thing that comes to mind. Please bear with me, its a bit more operatic than what I'm used to singing."

Mr. Gold didn't say anything in response to this as he watched her move around until she was in the center of the room. For once, she exuded a discomfort he had never seen before. He watched her with keen eyes as she stood in the middle of the room and tried to hold herself up straight, even if her face was slightly downcast.

"_Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye," _she started singing slowly, so softly that he had to strain a bit to hear her clearly, even in the empty shop. "_Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try. When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me," _she continued singing, her voice gaining clarity and confidence slowly; her voice raising.

"_We never said, our love was evergreen. Or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember, stop and think of me. Think of all the things we've shared and seen, don't think about the way things might have been," _she sang, raising her face, though she was still in profile, seemingly unable to quite face him. For a moment, as he listened, Mr. Gold couldn't help the awful feel that this was a farewell song. And it's beauty was breath-taking.

"_Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day when I won't think of you_," she sang with a sweetness that filled him with a despair, her eyes finally meeting his almost shyly through a fringe of her hair as she turned slightly on the spot. "_Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade; they have their season, so do we. But please promise me that sometimes, you will think of me."_

"You sing beautifully, my dear," he complimented after a moment of silence as she looked at him expectantly. When he spoke, he hoped his voice wasn't as tight as his throat felt.Once more, Lucy blushed, in a way he found exceptionally pretty on her and he was almost sure he was the only person to have ever seen her blush.

"You're being too kind," Lucy commented, walking slowly over to the counter to retrieve what she had come for.

At this, he flashed her one of those small smiles. One of the amused ones, his private-joke smile. "You would be the first to say so," he said with a wolfish grin that made her heart swoon and her knees to knock together. "But truly, your voice, it's bewitching."

Lucy smiled at this. "Than I'd better be careful with who I ensnare." However, a frown suddenly came over her face. The joke didn't sound as funny as it had in her head, as thought about the fact that she'd only ever sang to Mr. Gold. "I should get going," she said, grabbing the guitar and strapping it to her back before things became anymore awkward. "I suppose I'll see you around," she called as she all but nearly rushed from the shop, feeling the need to lose herself in the mundane chatter of her sisters, who were taken by the waking of John Doe, the coma patient. However, she had matters to attend to with Ruby as well, a guitar to hide. She hoped as she walked, that Ruby wouldn't ask too many questions.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Even though it's late, Happy New Years! Hope the chapter was enjoyable and as always, please review.


	7. Chapter 7: Sonnets Over Fries

**Disclaimer:** Part of Sonnet 27 by Shakespeare featured in this chap. The first few lines of Sonnet 61 also included in this chap.

"Are you coming to Choir practice today?" Daphne asked, bouncing over to her sister's locker at the end of the school day.

Lucy didn't bother to look at her sister a she continued to organize her bag, picking what she would need to take home to do her homework, and swapping out the materials she wouldn't need. Not being a very dedicated member of choir, falling back to being just another background singer, Lucy wasn't diligent about Choir practice. Orchestra was another matter, however, today she was free of that particular activity as Mr. Newcastle was going to focus on Choir today.

A part of her supposed that she should stay, even though all she ever really did during choir practice was sit around reading a book and keeping an eye on Daphne and Mr. Newcastle to ensure neither of them made a slip. She occasionally had to lend her voice and sing in the background, but for the most part, that was something she felt she could do in her sleep.

But she couldn't do it. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't sit around, watching the adoring looks her sister and Mr. Newcastle exchanged. She couldn't see the adoring sparkle in their eyes. She couldn't abide to see the secret smiles they thought no one else noticed. Not when inside, her heart wouldn't stop aching, wouldn't stop longing for something far more impossible then her sister's love. At least Mr. Newcastle was no more than ten years her senior.

"I don't think so, I don't really feel like it," Lucy replied with a shake of her head a she slung her bag over her shoulder and shut her locker door. When she finally turned to look at her sister, she was slightly surprised to find that the expression on her sister's face was concerned and not beaming. Her sleek brows were furrowed, and her big, kind blue eyes were looking at her sadly.

"Lucy, what's wrong? You've seemed a bit... down. You don't make jokes anymore like you used to," Daphne said softly, her eyes never leaving her sister as she reached out to grab her sister's hand.

Lucy was quick to remove her hand from her sister's and step away, offering her a tired smile. "I'm just tired. I'll see you at home," Lucy said, trying to sound reassuring as she turned to walk away and make her way out of the crowded hall.

"Lucy, you're not being yourself. You don't have to change who you are to please father," Daphne called out, causing Lucy to stop mid-stride. For a moment, she looked around the hall. All her classmates milling about their lockers, getting ready to go home, or making plans to hang out with their friends, or just loitering around. As she thought of what Daphne said, and looked around her, she wondered why they couldn't be just like everyone else.

"You're going to be late for choir, Daphne. And you don't have to worry about me," Lucy said, turning to look at her sister, whose hair was brushed back into a low, casual ponytail. Turning around once more, Lucy took determined steps out of the school, not at all paying attention to the fact she nearly knocked over Principal Orsa.

As she made her way through Storybrooke, she found that home was really the last place she wanted to be. Although, she supposed that wan't different from the norm. Home was never really the place that she wanted to be.

Without much thought, she found her feet carrying her to the Diner. She wasn't too surprised that there weren't a lot of people in the diner, being as it was between meal times. And she suspected that anyone who came from school to hang out here, were lagging behind.

"Hey Luce, it's been a while," Ruby said with a smile as she walked over. Lucy merely nodded at this, not really feeling like having a conversation as she looked around the diner. Apart from herself, there were only a couple of other people in the diner, all much older than her. "Anything I can get you?"

"Can I get some french-fries and a milk-shake?" she asked, having skipped lunch, she was feeling a bit peckish. However, she had a feeling if she ate more, Minerva and Cook would be very cross with her for spoiling her dinner.

"Sure thing," Ruby said, scribbling down Lucy's order quickly before flashing her another warm smile and walking away, leaving Lucy to herself. After a moment, she pulled a book from her bag. Her English IV class was reading through Shakespeare's sonnets and though typically an avid reader, she felt the reading assignment was cruel. Of all the works of literature, they had to be focused at this particular point in time with some of the most beautiful love poems of all time, didn't they?

Caught up in her reading as she was, Lucy hardly took notice of the plate of fries and shake set before her several minutes later. Absent-mindedly she managed to mutter a thanks as she continued to read, occasionally picking at a fry and dipping it in ketchup as she read. Concentrating wasn't surprisingly difficult, though every word made her acutely aware of the ache that refused to let up over the last couple weeks.

"_Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,  
>The dear repose for limbs with travel tired,<br>But then begins a journey in my head  
>To work my mind when body's work's expired;<br>For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,  
>Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,<br>And keep my eyelids open wide..."_

"Hello Lucy," a familiar voice greeted, snapping Lucy from her reading. Turning slowly, she looked up and felt a little awkward to see Graham standing next to her table. However, a part of her was grateful for the distraction and in truth, she had missed his company.

"Hey, Graham. What brings you by?" she asked, offering a very small smile as she looked into his dark brown eyes. She could see as he stood next to her, hesitating, that their last encounter wasn't far from his mind even as he tried to pretend like nothing happened between them.

"Late lunch," he said with a shrug.

"Want to join me?" she asked, motioning to the seat across the table as she made to close the book she was holding open with her free hand. She wasn't entirely sure this was a great idea, but she wanted to repair the damage that their last encounter had on their tentative friendship.

For a moment, Graham seemed to hesitate before taking the seat in the booth opposite her. "How are your hands?" he asked with a concerned look on his face, as a guilty look jumped into his dark eyes. Lucy smiled at him as she set her book aside and took a sip of her shake.

"They're all healed," she said, showing him her hands. The redness had finally completely faded, and for a moment, the Sheriff looked relieved. Before they could engage in much more conversation, Ruby arrived and took Graham's order. Lucy smiled in amusement to hear him order a large burger with a large order of fries and pop.

"Hungry, huh?" Lucy asked with a teasing smile, ignoring the extra swing to Ruby's hips as she walked away. Graham had the good grace to look bashful. "So... what's been going on in the station? I hear there is a new Deputy in town."

"Yes, Emma Swan," he replied, wiping his hands on his jeans. Lucy nodded slowly at this. There had been a lot going on of late, a lot that she heard around. From the arrival of a visitor in Storybrooke, to the waking of John Doe from a lengthy coma, to some strange business involving Ashley who Lucy was sure used to be friends at some point with her sister Trista when they were in school together.

"Is it true she's the biological mother of the Mayor's son?" Lucy asked, to which Graham merely nodded. She found the entire thing rather fascinating now that she took the time to think about it. Emma Swan comes to town because of Henry Mills, and a mere couple weeks into her stay strange things begin to occur. "How did she become Deputy, didn't she like wreck the town sign in a DUI?" Lucy suddenly asked amused.

"I hired her," Graham replied suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable at the look Lucy was giving him, a large cheshire smile spreading on her face as she looked at him with huge sparkling eyes. He was rather glad at that moment that Ruby came with his order and he was able to dig in to avoid what he knew was Lucy's very sharp mind.

"Well from what I read, I like her," Lucy said with an approving smile as she munched on a few fries. Graham's eyes looked up at her, however, they weren't as hopeful or happy as she had wanted to see. Instead they were a bit despondent as he tried to chew around his large mouthful. "I suppose the Mayor's still a problem?"

Personally, she had never really met the Mayor, at least not in person. However, she didn't like the woman. She'd seen her around and while she looked very composed and put together, Lucy couldn't help feeling that there was something a bit off about her. Besides, she couldn't help feel that if her son was in therapy as Lucy had often seen him either before or after one of her own sessions with Dr. Hopper, that there was something wrong with the woman. The fact that she used Graham and made him feel worthless only further cemented her dislike for the woman.

"Lucy," he said in warning, clearly not wanting to talk about it as he shot a look around the diner. Lucy supposed she could understand the need for discretion, however, she didn't like it. Graham, knowing she was only trying to help, tried to smile and change the subject. It was nice, having someone to talk to who actually listened without reserve or judgement. "The sonnets?"

Lucy looked towards the closed book on the table to which he motioned to with his big, dark eyes. "School assignment," she replied with a shrug. "Ever read them?"

"Probably, but I could never quite get past the language," he said with a shrug as he took a sip of soda. Lucy smiled at this, not surprised. She knew very few people who enjoyed or loved to read. And even fewer who could appreciate the eloquence of english literature from centuries past.

"But the language is beautiful!" Lucy exclaimed with a smile as she picked up her book and flipped to Sonnet 61. "_Is it thy will thy image should keep open/ My heavy eyelids to the weary night?/ Dost thou desire my slumbers should be broke/ While shadows like to thee mock my sight?" _she read, all her feelings springing up at the words. Words old and masterfully strung together to describe the longing, the terribly sweet torture it was to desire someone so.

Graham stared at her for a moment, blankly, over the top of his large burger. The sight amused Lucy from more painful thoughts and she laughed lightly at him. "It's not terribly difficult Graham. It's about love or the longing for someone out of your reach, keeping you up at night."

Graham chewed slowly and swallowed before taking another sip of his drink. "Well I suppose I can understand your admiration, or that human sentiments don't change very much over the centuries. That something so old could still be so relatable."

Lucy smiled a big, warm smile at this. She had a sudden desire to hug Graham for understanding, for considering the point of view, for being there to talk and listen. "I've missed you," she stated suddenly, pushing a hair behind her ear. She wan't sure if it was the right thing to say, she knew Graham was so lost and confused he could mistake her. But she wanted him to know.

"I've missed you too," Graham said with a tiny, slightly regretful smile as he stared at the girl across from him. Though he knew he was several years older than her, at least ten, a part of him wished that things had been different between them. She was such a sweet girl, everything anyone could ask for really. But he was starting to understand what she meant that day at the station when she said, she wasn't the one for him.

A companionable silence descended on them as Graham finished his meal and Lucy finished her shake, her fries long gone already. "So apart from school, how's everything? I haven't really seen too much of you."

Lucy shrugged at this. "Come on Graham, you know what it's like. Outside of school, I have no life."

Graham shot her a skeptical look at this. "So you're telling me you haven't been sneaking off to do whatever it is you do on Wednesdays?"

"You know too much, Sheriff," Lucy said with a mocking narrowing of her eyes. However, after a moment of considering his question, she decided against putting an end to this particular conversation and decided to actually answer his question. "Considering you were my cover, sneaking off is not an option, is it?"

"What did you do, when you weren't at the station?" Graham suddenly asked. Now this was a question Lucy couldn't answer. Biting on her lip, she looked around and was startled when she looked up just in time to see Mr. Gold step into the diner. Her heart stopped as he stepped in, the door falling shut behind him. He was not in the diner for more than ten seconds before his gaze inexplicably roved around and landed on her. At the sight of her, his body seemed to stiffen and the expression on his face froze. As his eyes locked with hers, he merely nodded before turning and walking away to another booth.

A chill suddenly stole over Lucy as she looked down at the table. "Lucy?" Graham asked, a bit concerned at he looked over at Lucy, noticing the sudden change in her demeanor. Lucy's eyes snapped over to Graham and she offered him a tentative smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Nothing really, just needed to get out of the house," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "But it's getting late. I should start heading home," she said softly, putting her book away in her bag and motioning for Ruby that she was ready to pay. The waitress she had long ago grown to think of as a sister, walked over with both their tabs. However, before Lucy could take hers Graham had snatched it up.

"I got it," he said simply when she looked up at him questioningly.

"Graham, that's really nice of you but-"

"Luce, don't worry about it. And what kind of friend or gentlemen would I be if I let you pay," he said with a kind smile as he withdrew his wallet and paid, leaving a generous tip. Lucy couldn't help smiling at this.

"You're so old-fashioned sometimes," she said as she stood and slung her bag over her shoulder, for the moment her endearment towards Graham making her forget Mr. Gold and the anxiety she felt just to be in the same place as him.

"I don't think that's a terrible thing in this world."

"No, not in your case," Lucy said with a smile. "I'll see you around Graham, this was really nice."

Graham nodded in response, and said his goodbye's as Lucy turned and walked out of the diner. For a moment, he merely stood at the table with a slight furrowing of his brows. Lucy's sudden melancholic turn, and the way her eyes seemed glued to the floor as she walked away filled him with some worry. For a moment, he wondered if perhaps it would have been more wise to offer to give her a lift home. However, knowing her, he felt that she probably wanted to be alone now and wouldn't allow him to.

Deciding it was time to get back to work, the Sheriff walked to the door but was stopped on his way unexpectedly by a greeting from Mr. Gold. "Good afternoon, Mr. Gold," he greeted politely. However, one look down at the cool expression on Mr. Gold's face made him think the pawn-broker wasn't having an agreeable day. However, the man was quick to mask it with a polite smile.

"Lovely break?" asked Mr. Gold softly, but something in his tone that made alarm bells go off inside Graham's head. Graham was at a loss for what to say, not sure what Mr. Gold was driving at, or what he wanted.

"Yes, I suppose," he replied, his tone tinged with a bit of uncertainty. Mr. Gold eyed the Sheriff for a moment, feeling a sudden extreme dislike for the man, though he'd never before had a problem with the Mayors boy-toy in the past. There was something almost pathetic about the Sheriff, he found.

"I imagine... you've gotten to know Miss Davenport well, in all her time in community service," Mr. Gold commented off-handedly, not quite looking at Graham before turning his intense eyes on him. In response, Graham furrowed his brow. He knew Mr. Gold knew everything there was possibly to know in the town, but he found this interest on his part a bit odd.

"She's a sweet girl," Graham replied noncommittally, not sure what Mr. Gold was trying to get out of this conversation. Was he trying to imply something about him and Lucy? Had he somehow fallen in Mr. Gold's firing range?

Mr. Gold nodded in response. "Yes, I'm sure she is just that," Mr Gold said enigmatically, giving Graham a look with hard brown eyes that revealed nothing. However, Graham sensed something of a veiled threat as he looked down at the unassuming and elegantly dressed man. "I won't keep you from your duty any longer, Sheriff. Have a nice day."

Unsure what to do, but seeing the clear dismissal, Graham merely excused himself and left the diner, wondering what _that_ had been about.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **For all of those who are actually reviewing, thank you so much. Your feedback is much appreciated. I hope that this chapter was enjoyable, and as always please tell me your thoughts!


	8. Chapter 8: Sing

**Disclaimer:** Song featured in this chap by The Beatles, _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_.

"Are you signing up for the talent show?" Lucy looked up from packing away her violin and looked at Mr. Newcastle. His black, side-swept hair fell casually into his gray-blue eyes for the moment as he looked at her expectantly. For a moment, Lucy had to hand it to her sister, she didn't have bad taste in men.

Mr. Newcastle was tall, broad-shouldered, without being ridiculously muscular. Though, Lucy guessed her teacher was smaller than her father, an idea that seemed strange to her. But then her father seemed to dwarf all men.

"Are you heading that up too, Mr. Newcastle? Don't you have enough to do?" Lucy asked with an amused smirk as she teased her young teacher. Mr. Newcastle was easily the youngest teacher on staff, Lucy guessed that this was his first year teaching, which she guessed couldn't put him more than at twenty-three or twenty-four years of age.

"I like being involved in the school," he said, sounding hopelessly idealistic to her. She expected him almost at any moment to break out into Whitney Houston's '_The Greatest Love of All'_. Shaking her head of the silly thought, she snapped her violin case shut and carefully picked it up, while trying to keep her messenger bag secure on her shoulder.

"Well Mr. Newcastle, I hadn't really thought about it. But I don't think the school will be thrilled to hear a violin solo, no matter how proficient I am at it," she commented as she along with the rest of the people in Orchestra finished packing up and chatting. However, unlike the rest of her classmates, Lucy didn't really talk to many people in Orchestra.

"Well actually, I was thinking more along the lines of you maybe singing something," he suggested tentatively, causing Lucy to stop in her tracks and stare up at him blankly. "I know you sing, and I've heard you in choir the few times you show. I take it music runs in your family, and I think it would be a real treat for the school, to let them hear you. Just you, for once and well truth be told, the talent show could use a bit more talent."

"Daphne's singing something isn't she?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Mr. Newcastle... I don't know, I don't really sing in front of people-"

"I think Daphne would really enjoy it if you tried out, and you'd really be doing me a favor. You know when auditions are, will you please just consider it?" he asked, looking at her hopefully. Lucy sighed as she stared up at Mr. Newcastle. If truth be told, he was one of the few teachers she liked. His enjoyment for his subject, was unparallelled. And the fact that he was not yet jaded by the job, was endearing in a way she found a bit pathetic. The fact that he was such a decent, nice and laid back kind of guy and her sister's weakness for him, only made it harder to flat out say no.

Heaving a sigh, knowing this was somehow a mistake, Lucy nodded. "All right, I'll consider it. But I'm not making any promises," she said sternly. However, the sudden smile that lit up his face told her that he thought otherwise.

"Thank you, Lucy. I won't forget it, and I'll owe you," he said.

"I'll see you around, Mr. Newcastle," Lucy said, shaking her head. She wasn't surprised when not five steps for the music room she was accosted by her sister Daphne.

"So are you joining the talent show?" she asked, jumping on the balls of her feet as she clung to Lucy's arm.

"I'm considering it," Lucy commented dryly, not wanting to give her sister any false hope. The fact of the matter was, singing in front of the whole school didn't particularly appeal to her. Singing in a choir, dressed the same way and her voice blending with that of others, was another matter entirely.

"Oh, you have to! It will be so much fun! And honestly... you should see some of the others that have tried out. One kid tried stand-up comdey, it wasn't very funny," Daphne reported with a frown as she bounced along with her sister down the school halls to Lucy's locker, where she carefully stuffed her violin case at the bottom of the navy blue locker. Lucy wanted slam her head into the locker, wondering just what she had gotten herself into.

XX

"I'm sorry I had to cancel our appointment last week," Dr. Hopper said by way of greeting as he allowed Lucy into his office for their weekly session.

"I think considering you had to face your own mortality in a mine shaft of all places, it's understandable you'd need a break," Lucy commented dryly as she settled on the couch and watched Dr. Hopper close the door behind them and take his usual seat. He smiled at her comment, amused as always by her frankness. "Why'd the Mayor's son want to go down there anyway? It's just some old mine-shafts," Lucy commented perplexed.

For the past weeks, the tremors from the shaft and the aftermath was all anyone could talk about. The fact that the Mayor's son somehow needed to be rescued, and happened to be by his biological mother who also happened to save Dr. Hopper... well it only added to the sensationalism of the story. And as nothing ever seemed to really happen in Storybrooke, Lucy suspected that these events would be the talk of the town for ages to come.

"It's a long story. Suffices to say, he believed there was something down there, something his mother is trying to cover up."

"You mean the Mayor?" she asked for clarity, as to her it was quite clear that Henry Mills had two mothers now, to which Dr. Hopper nodded. "Wouldn't really surprise me if she were."

"What makes you say that?" Dr. Hopper asked, tilting his head as he furrowed his brow slightly. He'd never really heard Lucy so much as mention the Mayor in previous sessions, and he was more than a little curious about her views on their Mayor.

"She's a politician, all politicians are corrupt and shady," Lucy commented with a shrug. "Besides... I think there's something really off about her. She seems so cold and unfeeling, she's fake. I'm not surprised Henry is in therapy with a mother like her."

Archie stared at Lucy in surprise, never having heard her express quite so much dislike, especially for someone she didn't know personally. However, he couldn't say he was really surprised. Lucy was very bright and intuitive, he was not particularly surprised that she saw Mayor Mills in a less than favorable light. That she wasn't charmed or deceived by her public appearances, was something he really should have expected of her.

"Have you ever met the Mayor, personally?" Archie asked. Lucy shook her head.

"I've seen her around from time to time from afar. And I know my father has to deal with her on the rare occasion. I've gathered he doesn't think very much of her or her parenting either," Archie nodded to this. He'd never felt particularly comfortable when he thought of Henry, living and being brought up by Regina. She was a hard woman, and Archie felt uncomfortably aware that there was something missing in that relationship.

However, he wasn't sure about Mr. Davenport either. Like Regina Mills, he had a very clear path for her daughters. But Archie felt inclined to be more understanding of the man. He was aware through his sessions with Lucy that the man had been very devoted to his family and wife, but with the passing of his wife he had never quite been the same since.

Between raising seven girls, and keeping his business going strong to afford the best for his girls, Archie could see how it would be difficult for the man to deal with it all while still grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But the man made attempts to spend time with his daughters, and Archie didn't doubt even for a moment that the man loved his daughters. But like all humans he made mistakes, and raising seven girls was no easy feat, nor was dividing time between them and a lucrative business.

"Well, anything else going on?"

"Mr. Newcastle, you know I've mentioned him before. He's the music teacher and runs Choir and Orchestra. Well, apparently he's running the talent show at my school too, and he wants me to sing in it," Lucy said with a slight grimace. "Daphne's thrilled about the idea of me joining, but I'm not sure I want to."

"Do you sing?" Archie asked, tilting his head in his curiosity. He knew she was in choir, but he never heard of her actually singing solo, or expressing any desire to do so.

"Well yes, but I don't sing in front of people. Frankly, singing in front of my whole school, and performing for whatever parents are interested in attending in the evening performances is daunting. But I know it would make my sister happy, and after seeing some of the people who auditioned, I think Mr. Newcastle could really use to help in putting actual talent into this show," Lucy commented with a slight frown.

"Lucy... why do you think its so different to you, singing solo? I mean you've had violin solo's plenty, and performed before audiences without this trepidation. So what's so different about singing?" he asked, gazing at Lucy searchingly.

"I'm not really sure," Lucy responded, and she wasn't. A part of her simply didn't feel she was good enough to sing alone, for such a large audience. She felt that she would probably be booed off the stage, and who needs that? But beyond that, there was more, because she knew she didn't really care what people thought of her, and though she knew that she didn't have Daphne's stunning voice, that her own wasn't bad at all.

It was just... different. She wasn't sure what her reluctance was, or really where it stemmed from. Perhaps it was just another form of privacy, keeping her voice to herself. But then... she had sang for Mr. Gold, usually without care or reservation. So what did it matter if she sang to a crowd of people? Why did it fill her with a small sense of anxiety?

"Lucy, I think that if you have such a gift, you should share it. I'm sure you sing wonderfully, and your teacher seems to have a lot of confidence in you, and I'm sure it's not for nothing," Archie encouraged gently with a smile as he looked at the teenage girl who sat a bit tensely on the edge of the couch a she thought about it.

"I know," Lucy said with a sigh. She honestly expected this sort of reaction from the kind-hearted therapist. "But I don't even know what I'd perform," she said exasperatedly, falling back on the couch and propping her right foot on the edge of it.

"You're a very bright and talented girl, you'll think of something."

XX

Daphne and Mr. Newcastle, a long with a few other students lounging around the school auditorium waiting for their tryouts, watched as Lucy climbed on stage. In her hand, she carried one of the school's acoustic guitars, which she had borrowed from the music department. She walked with her head held high and took a seat in a stool set center stage before a mic-stand, which had another one positioned precisely where the guitar would be.

"Lucy, I'm glad you decided to try out," Mr. Newcastle called out, his voice projecting over the din, as a few kids from AV worked on the mics as Lucy set the guitar around herself and settled on the stool.

Lucy furrowed her brows and grimaced slightly, despite the large grin evident on her sister's face. Having tied up her hair for the occasion, and wearing a set of regular jeans and a spaghetti strapped t-shirt, she wondered for a moment if she should have dressed in more comfortable clothes. Like joggers, so she could at least feel more comfortable. However, she supposed performing before a mere set of fifteen or so people wasn't so bad.

"So what have you decided to perform?" Mr. Newcastle called, sensing that Lucy wasn't fully comfortable.

"_While My Guitar Gently Weeps_, by The Beatles, in acoustic," Lucy replied with a shrug as she pulled her trusted pick from her pocket. "Although, if I make it, I'm not sure if it's the song I will sing for the talent show," she went on explaining, trying to ignore the mic as they tried to adjust the volume and keep it from ringing.

"That's all right, whenever you're ready," Mr. Newcastle called with encouraging smile. Lucy almost laughed at her sister's cheesy smile and the way she gave her two thumbs up. However, considering the tone she planned to sing the song in, slower and more blues-y than the original, she tried not to. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the song, hoping she wouldn't mess up the tune or forget the lyrics. She hadn't practiced the song as long as she would have liked, and it was a classic. The idea of butchering anything from The Beatles, would make her want to roll over and die. She wanted to do more than a little justice to the beautiful song.

Closing her eyes and concentrating, Lucy slowly started to play the borrowed guitar, hoping she had tuned and adjusted it well. "_I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping. While my guitar gently weeps," _she started singing, clearly and slowly in a tone that evoked deep sentiments to those that listened. _"I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping, still my guitar gently weeps. _

"_I don't know why, nobody told you. How to unfold your love. I don't know how, someone controlled you. They bought and sold you," _Lucy continued to sing, her eyes still closed as she sang the song from her heart. "_I look at the world, and I notice it's turning. While my guitar, gently weeps. With every mistake, we must surely be learning. Still my guitar, gently weeps."_

Daphne watched with wide eyes as her sister sang, leaning on the edge of her seat and draping her arms around the back of the seat in front of her. She leaned her chin on her arms as she watched her sister's face, full of deep sentiment and expression as she sang. The longer she sang, the notes her voice evoked, silenced the entire auditorium who watched with greater interest than they had watched some of the earlier performances.

"Did you know she could sing like that?" Mr. Newcastle whispered to Daphne, his eyes watching the student on stage as she continued to sing and play the song slowly.

Daphne shook her head. "She never really sings," she whispered back, her voice awed as a few tears gathered in her eyes as she wondered why her sister never shared her beautiful voice with any of them before. How could she keep it a secret like this, she wondered to herself.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Wanted to put this up before 'Desperate Souls' Episode, which makes me nervous since it reveals some no Rumple/Gold's backstory. And since I've got chapter 9 and 10 written, this could mean quite a bit of revising on my part and I was quite fond of those chapters.

But anyway, I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter, Please Review and tell me your thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9: The Green Monster

**Disclaimer:** Snippets of lyrics Lucy practices are from Evanescence's '_Lost in Paradise_'.

"Lucy! Phone!"

Lucy furrowed her brow as her sister Elaine called out to her, wondering who could possibly be calling her. She _never_ got any phone calls. Setting the book she was reading aside, Lucy rolled off her bed and picked up the purple cordless phone set up on her nightstand. "I got it," she called back as she picked up her own phone. She waited a moment until she heard her sister hang up the phone she had picked up before saying 'hello?'

"Lucy? It's Graham. Do you think its possible that we could meet up?" he asked. Instantly upon hearing the Sheriff's voice on the other end of the line, she frowned. From the tone... he sounded distraught. "I really need someone to talk to and I didn't know who else to go to.

"Right now?" she asked with a furrowed brow a she looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand and noticed that it was well past ten in the evening.

"I know it's not a good time but... I just don't know what else to do," he said, sounding a bit desperate. Lucy furrowed her brow for a moment before sighing. She couldn't say no to him, he sounded like he could really use the talk. And though she felt apprehensive as to what it was about, she cared for him and knew he really needed her. He wouldn't be asking her otherwise.

"All right. Where do you want to meet?"

"I'm actually in front of your house," he said, sounding a bit flustered.

"Oh... well then I'll be down in a few, see you then," she said, before hanging up the phone, before heading to her bedroom door and locking it. She then headed to her bedroom window and threw it open. Considering the time of night it was, requesting her father's permission in stepping out was out of the question. Being as she was on the second floor, the drop from her window was quite a bit down below. However, she had learned quite some time ago how to edge her way on the small ledge outside her windowsill to get to the wooden fencing that ran along side the walls for plant growth.

Managing to swiftly climb down Lucy stuck to the shadows on the trees on her lawn before jumping and climbing over the tall iron fence that ran around the front of their property. She had only just gotten to the sidewalk when she saw Grahams silhouette rushing over to her.

At the first glimpse of him, she noted that he looked a bit disheveled and that he wasn't wearing his jacket. He looked a little pale and sickly, and instantly she felt her worry for him increase. "Graham, what happened? You look terrible," she said, frowning at him as she walked alongside him. He was walking down the block at a furious pace and running his hands through his hair. She had no choice but to walk briskly alongside him to keep pace.

"She know's, Luce. Emma found out about me and Regina. You should've seen the way she looked at me," he stated, running his hands through his hair.

Lucy furrowed her brow. It took her a moment to remember Emma was the Deputy and Henry's biological mother. And the fact that Graham was freaking out confirmed her suspicions that he had a thing for the new deputy. Lucy had to pause to contemplate for a moment, as she wasn't entirely sure what was going on, as the last time Graham had unwilling to discuss the matter in Gran's Diner.

She had guessed as much then that Graham had liked Emma, however, it seemed to her that Emma hadn't been here long enough to send Graham into a shame spiral. It also seemed strange to her that Graham should develop such strong feelings for a woman who had only just gotten into town. However, she shoved that thought aside, thinking it wasn't really relevant. She supposed some people simply fell fast and hard, and considering Graham's sweet disposition...

However, what about this Emma? Did she feel the same way for Graham. Lucy supposed she would, if she felt disappointed or hurt about the tryst that Graham carried on with the Mayor. "Give her some time Graham, she'll come around. Just try to talk to her, explain..." Lucy stated gently, placing a hand on the Sheriffs arm to slow him down. She wouldn't be able to keep up pace with him much longer, and she wanted him to be less agitated.

"I don't know... you have to know her. She's like... really closed off person, doesn't let people to near her to protect herself," Graham explained. Lucy noted as they stopped near a street lamp that his eyes were becoming red rimmed.

"I suppose she found out in a less than savory way?" Lucy commented. Graham nodded and proceeded to explain the situation, even going so far as to tell her that Emma and Regina had a less than friendly relationship. "Graham, if you were having feelings for Emma Swan, why didn't you stop seeing the mayor?"

"I don't know," he said, running a hand over his face. "I suppose... I wanted to feel, but I don't feel anythin'! And Emma... it seemed sort of hopeless that she'd want anything with me. She's been very blunt about not being here for a relationship."

"Well... if it bothers her so much, she clearly feels something for you. Otherwise, she wouldn't care," Lucy reasoned, as she started to walk alongside the Sheriff once more. However, she noted that he seemed to have slowed his pace some, and seemed a little less agitated now he had gotten it all off his chest.

Graham seemed to consider this as they continued to walk at a leisurely pace in silence for a few moments. Both lost in their own thoughts. "I'm sorry for... tonight. I probably shouldn't be burdening you with my problems," Graham said suddenly, stopping their walk and breaking their companionable silence.

Lucy offered him a small smirk at this. "I'm your friend, you're supposed to unburden yourself with your friends. I think my age is irrelevant," Lucy replied sounding slightly amused before suddenly becoming serious and looking up at the taller figure before her. "Give it time. I'm sure things will work themselves out. But you should stop seeing the mayor, she clearly doesn't make you happy."

Graham ran his hands through his yet unruly curls. A part of him wished he would have showered, but Regina wouldn't allow it. She thought that might wake Henry. And running into Emma... it all made him feel dirty and used. He hated that... it made him feel like a girl. "I know, but its not so simple."

"What in this life is simple?" Lucy asked with a light teasing smile. Graham offered her a wry smile at this.

"You should probably be getting back," Graham suddenly said, looking sheepish. He had just dragged a teenage girl outside of her house so he could talk about things she was yet too young to have to deal with. Rubbing the back of his neck, Graham wondered why he was so pathetic. "I don't want to get you into trouble."

Lucy merely shrugged at this. "Don't worry about it, its not the first time I've snuck out," Lucy stated cavalierly. "I just hope I helped, at least a bit."

"You've been great, Luce," Graham said with a smile, placing a hand on the girls shoulder and patting it. He wanted to give her a hug, but somehow he thought that would be wrong when he had just come from seeing Regina and running into Emma. Somehow he felt Lucy wouldn't appreciate the smell of sex that probably still clung to him, and frankly he was too ashamed to want her to smell him.

"I'll see you. You know where to find me, if you need to talk. And don't worry about it, if you do have to talk, I'll be there," Lucy offered with a smile. Graham merely nodded and she took this time to turn and leave, all the while unaware of the man who had been watching the whole encounter, hands gripping tightly to the steering wheel of his expensive luxury vehicle.

XX

He couldn't stand to be away from her. No matter what else was going on in Storybrooke; Ashley Boyd, David Nolan, Emma Swan... nothing could drive Lucy from his mind. He had to see her, but seeing her with the Sheriff made his blood boil, coursing like benzine on fire in his veins. A dark violence that resided deep inside him in a cage screamed and railed to be set free. He wanted to strangle the Sheriff.

However, Mr. Gold always prided himself on his sense of control. He could stamp down on the violence in his heart. He could ignore it, and be calm and aloof if he had to see the Sheriff. He'd had many years of practice controlling his more savage and beastly urges.

But the longing... that was something else. He'd never really longed for anything with the desperation that he felt for Lucy... except perhaps his son, but that was another lifetime ago it seemed sometimes. He was _now_ in uncharted waters, and he found his control slipping. It wasn't enough to see her now. He had to speak to her. He had to _know_!

And so he found himself in her school, standing in the back of the auditorium in some shadows as she sat on stage indian-style during her lunch period with an old acoustic guitar across her lap. Spread before her were sheets of paper which he assumed were sheet music as she tried to learn a new song; he had seen her do this many times before in his office in the shop. The look of concentration on her face, the furrowing of her slender brows as they knit together, the way her fingers darted between the sheets music and her fingers to make sure they were in the right position.

On those occasions, he didn't care when she stumbled on notes or hit the wrong chords. He was always fascinated simply watching her learn, and he could never help the smile that crossed his face when she managed to string the correct notes together in long successions. Witnessing her triumph filled him with an odd sense of pride.

Apart from Lucy and himself, there were no other occupants in the large auditorium and for a while, he was merely content to watch her. She was so beautiful to him. From her long tapered fingers, which danced across the guitars strings, to the fringe of dark hair that fell across her pale face. Every inch of her face from the bow of her lips, to the shape of her eyes were engraved in his mind and tortured him almost every second of the day.

She played a progressions of chords for along moment then and continued on, staring at the page before her. "_I have nothing left_," he heard her voice suddenly, singing in a pitch he hadn't previously been aware she could hit. It was high, and hauntingly beautiful and her voice projected in the auditorium so even where he stood al the way in the back, he heard her loud and clear. "_And all I feel is this cruel... wanting. We've been falling for all this time. And now, I'm lost in paradise."_

Here she stopped, a look of dissatisfaction marring her pretty features. Setting the guitar aside, she ran a hand in frustration through her hair and lay back on the stage. It was at this moment, that he decided to step out of the shadows. Quietly, he made his way down the aisle on the far left of the auditorium. The incline of the isle as he approached the side of the stage she was currently lying on, made his limp a little more pronounced and awkward, but he ignored this.

"What's the matter, dearie?"

A gasp escaped her throat as he slowly approached the stage, and the rapidity with which she suddenly sat up almost shocked him into stopping his progress. However, as it was, when her eyes were rounded largely and staring at him in disbelief, he came to a stop. He was no more than five feet away, but he feared coming any closer could be a mistake. As it was, his heart was already skipping beats and it took all his self-control not to let it show in any way.

"Mr. Gold? What are you doing here?' she asked, looking truly bewildered as her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed over her eyes.

"Not pleased to see me?" he asked rhetorically, a smirk lighting his features. She looked at a loss for words, and so he was quick to go on, looking down for a moment as he shifted his feet and leaned for a moment on his cane to do so. His hair fell in his face, before falling back into place when he looked back up "I was told I could find you here," he replied a bit more warmly. "I've been... concerned."

"About?" Lucy asked at a loss as she tried to get her heart to slow. He had thoroughly shocked her with his presence, and the near coldness he had first regarded her with set her on edge.

At this, Mr. Gold turned and walked away from the stage on which she sat watching him, her legs hanging over the side of the stage. He pondered for a moment what to say, having not really planned what he would say on this visit, only know that he wanted to know if the Sheriff was a problem he would have to get rid of or not.

"There are a series of circumstances that to me seem concerning," he started slowly, turning and taking a seat in one of the wooden, folding seats the auditorium offered for its audiences.

"What circumstances?" Lucy asked, getting off the stage and walking over so that she sat a seat down from him so that they wouldn't have to talk loudly than the norm to hear each other. Mr. Gold turned in his seat slightly to face in her direction, shifting his cane to rest against the hand-rests of the seat

"Your abrupt volunteering termination, your seeming avoidance of me, and your new and very close relationship with the Sheriff. I think you could understand why any would be concerned," Mr. Gold stated quietly. Lucy didn't deign to respond to this, though to him she seemed to have paled slightly. However, she was doing wonderfully well making her face a mask of neutrality. It frustrated Mr. Gold that she could be so hard to read if she so chose.

"Are you trying to imply that Graham has been somehow inappropriate with me?" Lucy asked coldly, not liking the accusation. Graham was her friend, and even though it hurt to have Mr. Gold think something that wasn't true of her, she didn't have it in her to somehow hurt one of the only friends she had.

"I'm not implying anything, my dear. You said it," Mr. Gold replied calmly, trying to soothe the anger he felt suddenly from her. However, he was having trouble controlling his own jealousy. Her anger only seemed to confirm what he feared.

"Even though it's really not your concern, there's nothing going on between Graham and I. He's a good man. We're only friends," Lucy said fiercely, not looking at Mr. Gold as she said it but rather glaring at her hands instead. She hated this. Hated arguing with Mr. Gold, hated being angry with him, hated having to defend Graham when all he ever did wrong was try to help her. And for the life of her, she couldn't understand why Mr. Gold cared. Was he just trying to hurt Graham for something?

"You could just be saying that to protect him," Mr. Gold said, suddenly grabbing his cane and getting to his feet. This encounter so far had not gone as planned, although he truly didn't know what he was expecting. Getting the girl angry at him was certainly not what he expected nor wanted, however, and he felt he should go before things became any more terse.

"I'm telling the truth. What is it you want, Mr. Gold?" Lucy asked, standing but not walking over to him. She remained standing by the seat she sat at, and staring resolutely at Mr. Gold's back. "Are you trying to use me to hurt Graham?" she asked, loathing the thought perhaps that was the only reason that he saw her, because he had somehow thought she'd be the perfect pawn to get to the Sheriff. However, a part of her told her that it couldn't possibly be, as far as she knew Graham wasn't on Mr. Gold's bad side.

Mr. Gold stopped his walking at this. For a moment, he furrowed his brow. She thought this was about Graham? She thought he would use her to get to the Sheriff for something? He could have almost laughed at the ridiculousness of this, being as the Sheriff was really no concern to him. The only reason he wanted to destroy the man was because of her, because of what the Sheriff could mean for this girl who had taken over his life without his consent. However, the bitterness inside him wouldn't let him laugh. The situation wasn't the least bit amusing.

Noting the stiffening in his frame, and the slight slump to his shoulders as he faced away from her, a new thought occurred to her. "Or perhaps," she stated with the pause, wondering if it was at all wise for her to really say what sprung to mind. The barest of turns on his part, the turning of his head to look over his shoulder through a veil of shimmery brown told her it was too late to go back on her words. "Perhaps you're jealous?"

"Jealous of what?" he snapped though in a quiet tone, unable to help himself. Lucy walked to the end of the row of seats in quick strides and walked around him until she was standing before him. Standing at the end of the isle, near the wall, his eyes looked darker than usual as they turned to look down at her. His face betrayed nothing.

"It's what you sound like, a jealous man," Lucy said, trying to be more confident than she was about her theory as she steadfastly looked up into his eyes. Every passing second seemed to tell her she was making a mistake and wanted to make her courage fail her, but she obstinately refused. It was too late anyway, she'd already spoken her mind.

Mr. Gold stood for a moment, merely searching her green eyes, which in the dim lighting of the aisle they stood in, didn't look particularly green. Except they were catching the light from the stage at his back, and he could see hints of their beautiful forrest-coloring. He wasn't sure what she wanted from him as she stared up at him expectantly, waiting for something on his part. She was standing quite close to him, a step or two and she'd be crossing into his personal space. Inside his head, he dared her to, but he was sure even she wouldn't cross that line.

He would, if she were not underaged. Although, he supposed it came down to more to the fact that they were in public. Maybe if they weren't, he'd at least steal a kiss and run the risk of losing her. But then again, maybe not. She was too valuable to give up like that, so soon. He wanted to keep her for as long as he could, in whatever capacity that was.

Lucy sighed, annoyed that she was getting nowhere with him. Walking away, she grabbed her music sheets from the stage and stuffed it in her bag before shouldering it and picking up the guitar. Her lunch period was almost over, and she needed to return to the guitar to the music department. She didn't have time to deal with this anymore. However, before she left, she turned to look at him one last time.

He was still standing where she left him, only he had turned to watch her. "By the way, that song, I was thinking about _you_," she said in an annoyed manner, wondering if he would understand but not staying to watch as she turned and walked quickly in the opposite direction along the stage, heading to the steps and large double doors that led out of the auditorium and into a school hallway.

Mr. Gold furrowed his brow at this statement, watching her go in confusion He thought back to the only song she could be referring to, the one she had been practicing. Furrowing his brows, he tried to recall the lyrics. But the only ones that came back to his mind, the only ones that stood out to him were '_all I feel is this cruel wanting_'.

Furrowing his brow, he wondered what that meant. Was she trying to say... that she wanted him? Mr. Gold shook his head, thinking that was impossible. However, his heart and hopes couldn't help but soar at the thought. Even if he felt rationally that it was folly to hope for such a thing.

XX

_When he'd encountered a sniveling girl sitting on a dock, he'd thought he'd found a golden opportunity. However, he hadn't expected the girl to be a mute. He watched with a slight grimace as he watched her gesturing wildly with her arms, but he couldn't really understand what she wanted from him. "I'm sorry dearie, but this... language barrier isn't really helping me to help you," he said, sitting in front of the red-head with his legs crossed. _

_Shoving her bangs out of her face, the girl seemed to decide on another tactic. She gestured to the wand he was twirling with his fingers and pulled what looked like a cracked open sea-shell that seemed to stand when she set it on the dock between them. She than made a motion with her hands, as if waving a hand over an object before motioning to the shell and making a bursting motion. She then flailed her arms and made the motion of a silhouette. _

_Furrowing his brow for a moment, Rumpelstiltskin thought. "Would you like me to summon someone, is that what you mean?" he asked. The girl nodded vigorously, her eyes suddenly brightening. "The person that object belongs to?" he asked a grin spreading on his face, to which once more she nodded and got on her knees to get closer. _

"_I can do that," Rumpelstiltskin said, jumping agilely to his feet. "But it will cost you," he added with his trademark grin, showing all his teeth and looking more than a snarl than anything. However, the girl merely looked at him questioningly as if to ask him, what it would cost. Rumpelstiltskin had to consider this for the moment. He wasn't really sure who this girl was, or what her value could be or that of her child. However, as he looked at her dress, he guessed not much. And considering he didn't know if she was in love, or the possibility of her having children was clouded to him, he wasn't sure what to ask for as payment. For some reason he couldn't fathom, he couldn't see into this girl's future or past, couldn't divine anything to do with her. Something that never really happened to him before. "Tell you what," he said after a pause. "You'll simply owe me a favor. How does that sound?"_

_The girl didn't pause to extend her hand and nodded vigorously. Rumplestiltskin grinned madly in turn as he shook her hand before motioning for her to sit a few paces back. When she had moved what he considered would probably be a safe distance away, he waved his wand at the object and watched it burst in a large cloud of smoke. _

_However, he never expected what he would find when the smoke cleared. His large eyes lit up when the smoke cleared and he saw the figure that now rested on the dock. A giggle burst from his lips as he saw the creature that was rising on its arms into a sitting position on the dock. But this was no human. It was a mermaid! With a lavender, scaly tail that glittered in the nearly setting sun! And all the pale skin exposed to his sight! The small waist, the delicious belly button, the mounds of the mermaid's breast only covered by a set of lavender shells that matched her tail! The sight positively delighted him, he'd never seen a mermaid before. He wasn't even sure they really existed. _

"_Ariel?" the mermaid questioned, her eyes having wandered to the red-head after checking her surroundings in bewilderment. _

_Rumpelstiltskin's gaze wandered from the dark-haired mermaid to the other girl now kneeling before her, so that was her name? Ariel? He paused for a moment and wondered as the two females stared at each other. Was Ariel not really human at all then? He guessed she couldn't be, how else would she know the mermaid unless she had been one herself?_

"_What happened to you? You've been gone for three days! Daddy is searching the whole sea for you like mad!" the mermaid exclaimed, giving Rumple to guess that the girls were sisters and that the red-head was indeed not human as she seemed to be. "How did you get legs?"_

_Ariel, motioned to her throat and gave her sister a regretful shake of the head. The mermaid, didn't seem to understand. "She can't speak, dearie. She has no voice."_

_At this, the mermaid seemed to finally notice him. Her head turned so fast, he was sure she'd break something in her neck. However, when she spotted him, her eyes narrowed suspiciously on him. In the light of the setting sun and reflecting the light of the water, they looked the most luminescent shade of green he'd ever seen. _

"_What do you mean she has no voice? Of course she does! What did you do to her?" she exclaimed angrily from her perch. Rumple was amused by this, but nonetheless put up his hands in self-defense. However, before he could say anything to defend himself, the beautiful mermaid suddenly gasped. Furrowing his brow, he watched in fascination as he noted a set of three gills on each side of her torso, in between the bottom sets of her ribs, suddenly flapped. _

_A look of panic appeared on Ariel's face as she looked at her sister in concern. However, the dark haired beauty merely looked around for moment before suddenly leaping off the dock and into the water. She emerged a few moments later, her shoulders and head appearing from under the water as she made gasping noises, as though someone who needed much air and finally got it. _

"_If she could speak before but cannot now, that is not my handiwork. She was like that when I came across her, with the legs too," Rumple said casually, pretending the whole scene before hadn't happened. The mermaid, now in the water merely furrowed her brow and turned to look at Ariel._

"_The sea witch? You traded your voice for some legs? How could you do something so stupid?" she suddenly asked, causing Ariel to cringe. However, after a moment her eyes widened with realization, she shook her head. "You fell in love with a human," she said suddenly with a sad sigh shutting her eyes tight and looking down for a moment. Running a hand through her hair, she turned to look at Ariel. "What else was part of the deal with Ursula? Your voice wouldn't have been enough for a human transformation. And what did summoning me cost her?" she said, turning to Rumple with another glare in her pretty eyes. _

"_Just a favor in the future," he responded nonchalantly with a smile and a shrug. _

"_A favor could be anything," the mermaid accused, not happy with his answer. Rumple grinned wider to the dark-haired mermaid. This one was no fool. And her fearlessness of him, her defiance, it was so very attractive on her. _

"_It could," he agreed with another small maniacal giggle. _

"_Who are you?"_

"_Rumpelstiltskin, at your service," Rumple said with a deep bow, before lifting his head slightly to look at the mermaid. "And who might you be, my dear?" he asked, with a leer. _

"_Andrina." she responded eyeing the creature unsurely. She'd never heard of him before, but she knew he wasn't human from the looks of him. And she had her misgivings about sharing her name, not seeing why she should share it with him at all, however, she was a princess and had to be at least civil. However, something about him... unsettled her. He was so unlike anything she had ever seen, there was a reptilian quality to him that was intriguing and he seemed more than a little insane. _

_However, before anything more could be exchanged between them, Ariel started motioning with her hands at the sun and then to the ship sending both other creatures into renewed confusion. _

**TBC...**

**A/n: **So if you hadn't guessed before with the few hints I've left, now you know who Lucy is.

Also I wasn't sure how I would make Rumple meet Andrina in the fairytale world as she's a mermaid and wouldn't have contact with Rumple or even know about him. However, TheSlytherinWolf made a interesting suggestion which I tweaked a bit and present here, so special thanks to you.

Anyway, as always please Review, they are much appreciated and let me know if people are reading and what they enjoy of the story.


	10. Chapter 10: No Air

**Disclaimer:** '_No Air'_ lyrics from Jordin Sparks featured in this chap.

The day was slightly overcast, and almost seemed to threaten rain on those sitting on the white folding chairs that had been set out for the funeral. The turnout had been a very large one, larger than Emma Swan expected, and most of the chairs were taken up; some had to stand. Emma supposed that considering that Storybrooke was a small town, and that most people probably knew each other, that this shouldn't really have been unexpected.

Standing at the back of the large crowd on the right side of the casket, Emma stood next to Mary Margaret in a bit of a daze. She still couldn't really believe this had happened, and after crying her eyes out, she had gone into her numb mode. Something she thought was just as well and was glad had kicked in before the funeral.

Casting a glance around, she wondered at the various people standing around, listening to the sermon. Emma had spotted Henry and the Mayor earlier, they were hard to miss considering they were practically front and center. Emma suspected that the Mayor had paid for Graham's service, as he seemed to have no living relatives. The fact sort of rubbed her the wrong way.

Emma couldn't help but noting that Henry, standing beside his mother, looked devastated. Though he wasn't currently crying, he had a look of disbelief on his face, and his eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. It made her heart ache to look at him, knowing that Graham's death was a blow he never felt before. And she felt the matter was probably made worse, as Graham had sought out Henry's help, mere hours before his passing.

Mary Margaret was wiping tears from her eyes with a white handkerchief, sniffling quietly. Ruby had a black scarf wrapped around her head and was looking a bit teary eyed next to her grandmother, across the way. However, her gaze seemed to drift from time to time to a very elegant, tall, slender brunette girl who seemed to be about her age.

Emma couldn't help looking at the brunette and wondering who she was. She'd never seen her in Storybrooke before, in the several weeks she had been there, and considering the looks she shot at Ruby, she wondered why that was. Clearly the two young women knew each other, so why hadn't she seen her in the diner before?

And for that matter, the group of girls that surrounded the brunette. There seemed to be seven of them total, all dressed well standing about, not fifteen feet to Emma's left. The girls all seemed to range from their mid-teens to their early twenties, and had slight similarities between them. They were two girls with black hair, one blonde though the dark roots of her hair were showing, and several brunettes. One girl, the one that looked the youngest, had shockingly red-hair. Each girl seemed prettier than the one older than her, and Emma wondered how she had never seen a single one of them before.

"Mary, who are all those girls?" Emma asked in a whisper, leaning into her companion and motioning subtly with her head at the group of girls. She was not able to contain her curiosity and it seemed to take Mary Margaret a moment to respond.

"The Davenport girls, their mother passed when they were very little, I never met her. Their father is a busy man, so I've only seen him on very rare occasions," Mary whispered in return, only once pausing to lightly blow her nose. Emma nodded in response and furrowed her brow in thought. For a moment, she wondered who Henry would think they were in his book of fairytales as she turned her attention back to observing the crowd, unable to look at Graham's coffin suspended over the plot he'd be interred with.

She was a bit surprised when she spotted Mr. Gold. Not so much for his appearance, though that didn't change much from the day to day. He was still dressed in a finely tailored, all black suit. However, was surprised her was that he was standing with his gaze fixed decidedly on something other than the funeral. His gaze seemed unblinking and unwavering as he stood somberly.

Furrowing her brow, Emma tried to follow his line of sight, and found herself staring at one of the Davenport girls. She was standing almost at the back of the group and a foot or so away from her sisters. She had long black hair which was tied in a simple yet elegant ponytail.

The girl he seemed to be staring at was slender, and wore a black high waisted dress, the skirt of which seemed to be a bit like a bell, and the hem fell just below mid-thigh. She wore a deep purple, button up sweater and had a black arm-band around her left arm like everyone else. On her feet, she wore black-satin ballerina flats with ribbons tied in bows around her ankles.

From what Emma could see of her, the girl was extremely pretty, and if Emma had to guess her age, she put it at seventeen or eighteen. However, her pale and pretty features seemed drawn and she was staring unblinkingly at the ground. Even from where Emma stood, she could see a decidedly pink rimming around the girl's large eyes, as if she had spent hours crying and she felt a tug at her heart at the sight. One of the girls hands held a white rose so tight in her fist, that the stem was broken, but the girl seemed unaware of this as she was oblivious to the world around her.

"The girl with the purple sweater, do you know her?" Emma asked in a whisper to the teacher next to her.

Mary Margaret once more turned to look at what Emma was referring to, not at all wondering at the blondes lack of attention. She knew what Emma was feeling, or had felt. She'd been up all night trying to soothe the tears until there weren't any more for the blonde to shed. She could understand Emma's need for distraction.

"Lucy Davenport... this must be so hard for her," Mary Margaret said, adding the last bit in as an afterthought as she studied the teenage girl who seemed to be vibrating with emotions simmering underneath the surface.

"Why?" Emma asked with a furrowed brow, keeping her tone low.

"Well before Henry brought you, she was volunteering at the station for a few months. I'm not sure why, just that she got into some trouble. She spent quite sometime with Graham," Mary Margaret explained in a whisper. To which Emma merely nodded in response.

XX

Lucy looked up at the end of the sermon, having been lost in her thoughts and she felt rather than saw when her sisters started walking towards the coffin to put their white rose on its top. Lucy cast a glance at the rose she had been holding, and felt as though the air was knocked out of her in that instant. She could feel the tears coming again, and she couldn't abide the world seeing.

The rose fell limply from her hand, onto the grass. It didn't make a sound as she turned and walked, nearly ran into the forrest. She needed to get away. She needed to be far from this place. She wanted the cover of trees, she wanted the pain to go away, the horrible ache she felt inside her to cease and leave her be.

She wasn't sure when she came to a stop only that it was something about the sound of rushing water that had triggered it. Standing on the rocky shore, she stared at the water of the river, unseeing. Her vision became blurry. She could feel a few tears streak silently down her cheek as she strove to understand, but she couldn't. It didn't make any sense to her.

She had just seen him! And he was shaken, but she thought he was better when he left her. She didn't understand how a mere two days later he could just be... _gone_.

"Lucy," a voice called softly, gently.

Lucy didn't have to turn to know who had joined her. Blinking the tears in her eyes so she could see again, she slowly turned to face Mr. Gold and at the sight of him, she forgot about their last encounter. She shoved aside with no difficulty or resistance the anger she felt at him. Inside of her, something seemed to crumble and it was all she could do to swiftly stride over to him and wrap her arms around his torso. Her head sunk into his chest, and her shoulders shook with barely contained sobs.

"I don't understand how this could happen," she whispered into him through her tears, hardly noticing the arm that wrapped around her waist while another landed gently on her upper back, rubbing soothing circles into it. The tears poured more freely now, streaming quickly down her cheek and soaking into his suit. "He was young, healthy. I just saw him! How is it possible that he's gone?" she cried.

Mr. Gold felt his heart break a little. A part of him was content; beyond content, to be able to hold her in his arms, to feel her body pressed into him seeking comfort. That she would allow him to see this side of her, and that she would so willingly melt into him for him to soothe her woes, it made his heart expand. He knew what this would cost her, she was always so strong. To show she needed him... he knew for certain now that he meant _something_ to her. But to see her distraught... it was not something he wanted to see. He wanted her to be happy, and more than anything to be able to provide that happiness.

"Death rarely makes sense to anyone, dear-heart, but it's a part of life," he whispered gently into her ear, before raising his head and planting a quick kiss on the top of her head; a thought flitted through his mind but he shoved it firmly aside not wanting to think about it, he couldn't deal with _that_ now. All the while, his hand didn't cease rubbing gently at her back and the arm wrapped around her waist held his cane, so that he was resting most of his body-weight on his good leg.

Lucy knew what he said to be true, but she couldn't believe Graham was gone. It seemed too impossible and it was so unfair. He'd found someone that made him feel what Regina had denied him for so long... and then for it just to all be taken away. All his potential swept away, and she felt the world was worse for his loss; someone so kind-hearted, someone so lovely in their heart... it was like the sun had been blotted from the sky, or one of its rare rays on a cloudy day had been extinguished.

However, Lucy didn't say anything. She couldn't speak anymore. Her throat hurt, and all she wanted to feel was the warmth from Mr. Gold, his acceptance. She crossed his personal space, something she'd never thought she'd do, and he hadn't rejected her or shoved her away to preserve his sense of decorum. No, instead he wrapped her in the security of his arms, and held her consoled her with a tenderness she would never expect of him.

"Please don't leave me," Lucy whispered barely audibly into Mr. Gold's chest, shutting her eyes and letting a few last tears spill down her cheeks. She couldn't bear the the thought of losing him too. Against her cheek she subconsciously could feel a sudden thud from his heart.

Mr. Gold considered her words for a moment, even as his heart beat hard and painfully in his chest. He was unsure if she meant now, or ever. However, he supposed that didn't really matter, because his own feelings couldn't be changed and somehow she had wormed her way into his closed off heart and made him feel some semblance of being alive and human again. "I wouldn't dream of it, love," he whispered quietly, placing another kiss atop of her head before allowing his cheek to rest against it and drawing her tighter against him.

XX

Lucy lay on her back in her bed, lost in thought. A set of headphones covered her ears, drowning out any noise that could possibly disturb her as her mp3 player played her vast music library on shuffle. Though it was relatively early, she had retired early to bed, and she felt emotionally exhausted.

That wasn't particularly surprising considering the day she had. Graham's funeral took a lot out of her, not to mention the emotional aftermath. At this point, she was too exhausted to care that she had let her guard down around Mr. Gold, that she had allowed him to get more than an inkling of what she felt for him.

However, she supposed that Mr. Gold had revealed a lot himself, without saying very much and with a few simple gestures. He had allowed her to invade his personal space; he had comforted her and not cared that she was staining his suit with her tears. He had kissed her head, and held her close. Closing her eyes, she could still recall his warmth, and recalled that he had called her _dear-heart _and _love_. Not dearie, nor dear the way he addressed every person in Storybrooke.

But what did any of that mean? She wasn't sure. When they had finally disengaged from each other, Lucy couldn't help the numb feeling that had washed over her. Mr. Gold had merely observed her for a moment, and asked her if she would be all right, to which all she could muster was a nod before excusing herself despondently, telling him that she had to get back before anyone noticed her absence. And he had let her go, without saying another word.

"_I'm here alone, didn't want to leave  
>My heart won't move, its incomplete<br>If there was a way that I could make you understand  
>But how do you expect me<br>To live alone with just me  
>'Cause my world revolved around you<br>It's so hard for me to breathe  
>Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air?"<em>

It blared in her headphones and she felt her heart clench painfully.

She supposed that he felt something for her... but what if it was simply a fatherly kind of affection? Lucy didn't think she could abide the thought of that. However, she doubted that was the case. Not when he looked at her the way he did. But... what if it were mere physical attraction on his part?

Somehow it seemed impossible that he would reciprocate what she felt for him. That like her, his heart beat fast when they were near. Or that he couldn't stop thinking about her, or that she plagued his thoughts the way he plagued hers. She didn't think it was possible that he could yearn to just see her. That when he held her, he felt whole.

It was too much to ask for. People didn't really love like that. Lucy had a feeling that in all relationships, one person must feel more than the other. And somehow she was sure that whatever it was that Mr. Gold might be feeling for her, it couldn't be to the same extent as to what she felt for him. That would be too much like a fairytale, and fairytales weren't real.

Sighing, she wondered why she was even bothering. It was not like a relationship between herself and Mr. Gold would be possible at all either way. She was still underaged and would be for a few months more, and no one would accept it even if she were eighteen. Not even Mr. Gold, not if what he felt for her was a scant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Lucy wondered why it was that if she had to feel love for someone, why it had to be for Mr. Gold of all people. However, she was quick enough to shove this question aside. Everyone knew you can't chose who you love. Minerva and Ruby seemed excellent examples of that. And she was sure that if Mr. Newcastle was in love with Daphne, that he probably loathed it, because he was a good man at heart and wouldn't cross that line.

Lucy sat up slowly when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that her door opened and someone walked in. Furrowing her brow, she removed her noise-canceling headphones and looked questioningly at her older sister, Minerva, who had closed the door behind herself. "I knocked, I suppose you didn't hear. I was worried," she said by way of explanation as she sat gingerly on the side of her bed.

Minerva still wearing the long, black pencil-skirt and grey cardigan and low black heels she wore to the funeral. However, she had set her hair lose form its usual elegant but constricting bun. It fell straight and plainly to a few inches past her shoulders. However, it was such a rich brown, that it looked beautiful and it suited Minerva's face.

"That's ok," Lucy said with a shrug. "What's up?" she asked, unsure why her sister would seek her out. However, she had could guess by the look of concern in Minerva's bright blue eyes what it could be.

Minerva seemed to contemplate her response carefully before responding. "I know Graham's passing isn't easy for you, you spent a considerable amount of time around him the last few months. I was wondering if you want to talk about it."

Lucy smiled wearily at her sister. "What's there to talk about? It feels surreal," Lucy said, her voice becoming quieter as she went on. She sighed and sat back against her pillows, removing her headphones and setting it and the mp3 player aside, even as she pulled her knees to her chest and draped her arms over them. For a moment, she couldn't look at Minerva as she stared at her arms and tried to get the knot that had suddenly formed in her throat to go away.

"Did you love him?" Lucy's eyes snapped open at that, never having been expecting that. She wanted to roll her eyes or groan. Did everyone think that just because she spent time with Graham that she wanted him or loved him? She didn't understand that.

"No. Or rather... _not_ in a romantic way. Why would you ask that?" Lucy asked, allowing her brow to furrow slightly in her confusion as she looked at Minerva who seemed a little relieved and then slightly embarrassed as her cheeks started turning a lightly pink tinge.

"You just spent a lot of time together and... its natural when two people-" she trailed off, clearly uncomfortable talking about this. Lucy shook her head and waved at her sister that she'd had enough of that.

"No," Lucy said merely, now feeling slightly annoyed. She supposed she couldn't really blame Mr. Gold for his suppositions if her own sister thought that she might have liked Graham. Sighing, Lucy momentarily rubbed her eyes. Now she felt _very_ tired. "I appreciate the concern, Min, but right now I don't really feel like talking about it."

"All right, but if you want to talk about it, you know you can come to me," Minerva offered, with a very small smile. Lucy looked up, but couldn't return the smile.

"Do _you_ want to talk about it?" Lucy asked, staring at Minerva with sharper eyes. Minerva looked confused and furrowed her brow.

"About Sheriff Graham?"

"About Ruby, about seeing her today. I know you haven't seen her in a long time," Lucy said, her eyes never leaving her sister's face. At the mention of Ruby's name, Minerva was dazed. Lucy could see that she hadn't expected this line of questioning. However, Lucy knew that Minerva had seen Ruby today, and she figured Minerva had to be feeling something about that. As she looked into her sister's saddened eyes, she wondered how she could stand it. How could she stand being away from Ruby? How could she go so long without seeing her? Did it get any easier? Didn't she feel like she was dead inside every day?

Before her sister could say anything, Lucy couldn't stop herself from asking. "How do you do it? I know you still love her, how can you stand being away from her? Not seeing her?"

Minerva looked away, her long dark tresses of brown hair covered her pale face from Lucy's gaze. "It's not easy," Minerva replied softly. "I miss her every day, every morning when I wake up... it's the only peace I have, because I'm free of everything for a moment. Then I remember my dreams, she's always in them... but it doesn't matter. She's moved on... with several people."

"You broke her heart, what did you expect? It's just the way she copes, but she still loves you," Lucy said, her tone going from angry to softening. She couldn't understand Minerva. She never understood it. How could she give up a love that was reciprocated, when so few are lucky enough to have what she had with Ruby. A part of her felt angry at Minerva on Ruby's behalf, but another part of her couldn't help feeling sorry for Minerva.

A series of emotions crossed Minerva's face in that moment. Hope, love, sadness, resignation, before she got up and started walking to the door. "It doesn't really matter anymore-"

"You should fight for her. If I were in love and lucky enough that the person I loved reciprocated my feelings, I wouldn't give them up for anything," Lucy spoke up passionately, before her sister could leave.

"It's too late," Minerva commented softly, her hand on the door handle, without turning to look at her.

"No, it's not. Not while you still love each other and live."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **For clarification, since it will be a couple chapters before Rumple and Andrina put in another appearance, when Rumple and Andrina meet, it isn't long terribly long before he's imprisoned, not even two weeks. Anyway please review!


	11. Chapter 11: Dreamers

There was a trick to leaving Storybrooke. So long as in your heart and mind one planned to return, a person could leave for a short time. Although, if there was for a moment doubt you would return, or if one had no intention to, there was no escape.

Mr. Gold had left Storybrooke, on more than one occasion. Retrieving Henry for instance. Today, he had closed his shop to travel to Boston and now he sat in his study. His trip to Boston had consisted of visiting a jeweler. Of course, there was a very capable jeweler in Storybrooke, Clyde Kingsley. However, considering his purchase, Mr. Gold needed a jeweler who neither knew or cared who he was and in Boston he could achieve that anonymity.

He wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to go, why the sudden need when so much was uncertain. But he had already determined that he couldn't live without Lucy in his life. One way or other, she would be his and though the day of the Sheriff's funeral things had remained uncertain between them, he had gleaned enough to know there was hope. Perhaps more than just a little hope, if he could believe that her fear of losing him was real and more than just something passing because of the recent death of the Sheriff.

Sitting back in his armchair, he closed his eyes and thought. He couldn't get it out of his head; being able to hold her, how perfect it felt to have her in his arms, how her body seemed to mold and simply... _fit_ with his like they belonged together.

Eyes slowly opening, he turned his brown gaze to the contents of the small open box he held in his right hand. He'd gotten something fairly simple and not extravagant. If he hoped Lucy would ever wear it, he thought it best. She didn't particularly seem the flashy type.

The band was platinum. The center diamond was a Princess cut, he'd thought it only fitting. The band wasn't a thin one, but it wasn't particularly thick either. On each side of the center piece, there were smaller diamonds set on the band, though they did not wrap all the way around. They were all very clear and well cut and had fetched a high price, but that didn't really matter to him.

Shutting the box, Mr. Gold stood from where he sat behind his large ornate desk and turned. Pulling on the framed painting behind his desk, he was quick to store the ring away in his wall-safe. The ring would remain there for the time being, for an indefinite amount of time. He wasn't sure he would ever get the opportunity to ask, but he'd have the ring in case, that symbol of his hope.

There was time, he had to wait. It wasn't like he could ask the girl to marry him while she was underaged. In that time, he could observe and wait patiently. See if what she felt for him was more than affection. If it could be love.

XX

"What's wrong with the mayor's kid?" Lucy asked as she sat on the couch, thinking of Henry Mill's who she had just seen leaving. He looked incredibly depressed. She didn't think she had ever seen a more miserable looking kid.

Dr. Hopper closed the door quietly behind himself before taking a seat opposite of Lucy. He sighed heavily as he sat opposite of her. "He's taking the Sheriff's passing very hard," Archie merely replied, though there was a lot more going on there but he wasn't about to share that with Lucy. Focusing now all his attention on the teenager before him, he eyes her carefully to gage how she was doing, but she had her wall up already. However, he was concerned about the bags under her eyes, she wasn't sleeping well and he would have to ask her about it. "I can't imagine it's been particularly easy for you either. You spent a lot of time with the Sheriff while you were volunteering at the station, and I know you two became friends."

Lucy settled back onto the couch. "I still have a hard time believing he's gone. That I won't see him again," Lucy responded with a furrowing of her brow. "I'm angry, because he was young and he shouldn't have died in the prime of his life. Not when he had so much left to live for still, when he had hope!"

Archie was surprised as Lucy stared off into space, her voice becoming louder and angry. But there were no tears, she seemed past that point. However, she was actually sharing and Archie wondered why that was, but he wasn't about to ask. He was simply relieved she was letting it out. "Have you talked to anyone else about your feelings?"

"I don't really want to talk about them. Minerva tried, the day of the funeral and I suppose I spoke a little of them to her... how it seems surreal," Lucy said with a shrug and a sigh.

"What have you been doing lately?" Archie asked, seeing that Lucy was done with that subject, and not wanting to push it at the moment. He felt that if she vented a little, that she was doing better than he expected. However, he wanted to know if she was going on with her life; wanted to know how she was adjusting.

"I've been swimming a lot more. It's the only place I really feel at peace. Father's been a bit more lenient with me and lets me go out, so I've been taking a lot of walks on the beach. If it weren't getting colder, I'd go for a swim there but I suppose its just enough to watch and see the waves," Lucy replied as she chose to lay on the couch on her side, she felt exhausted. "I haven't really been able to sleep lately either and when I do, I have strange dreams."

"Oh? What kind of dreams?" Archie asked. Lucy had never really mentioned having dreams. She had on a few occasions, but she said that usually she didn't remember anything at all about them.

"That I'm underwater... swimming deep, deep in the sea, but I don't have to come up for air because I can breathe underwater, like a fish or something. And I'm swimming to a palace of gold I can see in the distance and it feels like I'm going home, but I never seem to be able to reach it," Lucy said with a furrowed brow, her hair falling and obscuring part of her face, but she was too tired to bother pushing it out of her face.

"But it's not the same dream every night. Sometimes I dream of a man... but he's not really a man. I can't really see his face, but his skin is kind of olive-toned, it kind of looks grainy like sand, but has flecks of gold too. It's strange, because sometimes it looks grayish. Almost like it changes like the skin of a chameleon. And his eyes... I can't see his face but his eyes... they are big that you can't see any white along the sides and they seem to glow a yellowish color.

"He frightens me, or something about him does. Not so much his appearance, but something... but at the same time I'm drawn to him. Like I want to go to him, but something stops me. Something keeps me away from him. I don't know if its distance, or some barrier I can't see, or just the fear, but I can't get near to him. But I have to... its like if I don't I will just disappear... or turn into foam."

Lucy closed her eyes for a moment as she thought of that man in her dream. Something innate inside her told her that the man was somehow her dream interpretation of Mr. Gold. But she couldn't tell Dr. Hopper that. He would wonder why she thought that was and why of all people Mr. Gold. And she didn't want to have to explain how she knew him, or why she thought that. She kept Mr. Gold out of these sessions. He was her heart's secret and had to remain that way to protect him.

"What do you think it all means?" Archie asked, feeling that what she thought was more important than his own conjectures.

"Their just dreams, I try not to think of them," Lucy replied, opening her eyes. "I have other things to worry about. I can't pick a song to perform for the talent show... and I only have a few weeks to pick it, and practice it to perfection so I don't make a fool of myself."

Archie furrowed his brow at this. There was something about her performing for the talent show that he felt was blocking her, but he couldn't figure out what it was and he was unsure if Lucy knew either. He knew it had nothing to do with performance anxiety. "Lucy, why do you think you're having such trouble picking a song?"

Lucy was sure she had figured this one out already, from sitting for hours merely staring at the waves rolling in on the beach. They gave her a sort of clarity, she supposed because it allowed her to meditate. And of course, it was all wrapped up in Mr. Gold.

She'd only ever sang for Mr. Gold, she wanted to only ever sing Mr. Gold. She wasn't sure why, it was simply the way she felt, it was something that was ingrained inside of her. In order to be able to sing at the talent show, she felt she'd need to sing a song that she could pretend was just for him, that only he would hear. But she couldn't find the perfect song.

"I suppose I just want a song that will make the audience actually feel _something_, not be mere entertainment," Lucy lied. Although, she supposed it wasn't really a complete lie. "Music should be _felt_, not simply heard."

Archie smiled at this, that was profound in a way he knew he should expect from Lucy. However, a thought suddenly occurred to him. "You know Lucy, this could be an excellent way for you to work out your feelings of grief. Music and the arts are a wonderful way to work through emotions. And the loss of the Sheriff is certainly something very many people are feeling."

Lucy sat up suddenly at this and blinked. "I hadn't thought about that," she said, furrowing her brow as she considered what he said. She found, that it wasn't really a terrible idea, and a song popped into her head that could express the way she felt at the sudden loss of her friend and about her desire to stay near Mr. Gold.

XX

Mr. Gold settled the box he brought in with him from the Sheriffs apartment, after rummaging through his things for what he thought might be worth keeping and placed them on the floor. Of late, he'd tried to keep his mind occupied.

The death of the Sheriff left more than just an apartment of things he had to clear out, it left a position open. A high position, one he was sure Regina would fill up with someone she could keep under her thumb. Something he simply couldn't allow, there had to be changes in Storybrooke, and he was no longer content to allow Regina to have power over that branch. And so the plotting began, and he had chosen the perfect candidate. Someone who owed him a certain favor, and whose corner he felt he should be in. The things he had kept of the Sheriff, they were merely an enticement for Emma Swan and to remind her of the man who she must needs replace, a man she had grown fond of and who was spiraling out of Regina's control.

Besides, he couldn't deny that it didn't keep his mind occupied and off other things or rather... people. Though the girl had given him hope, he still was not able to see her, and being away from her was painful.

The bell chiming over his shop signaled the entrance of a potential costumer. Mr. Gold grimaced at this, of late he was really in no mood to deal with people, and had to really strive to keep his always polite and soft-spoken manner. His immense sense of control over his person was slipping, and he didn't like it in the least. And after spending the previous evening cleaning out the Sheriffs apartment and packing up a few things that he thought might interest Emma Swan, he was in no mood at all. He was tired, and severely annoyed.

Looking around his office for a moment, he grimaced. He needed to straighten this room was well. Since Lucy had stopped coming, he had changed the layout a bit. He found that keeping it the way it had been brought too many memories of her back to him. He had moved the couch she had occupied and though it clashed with the décor of his home, he had left it in the basement. The amp, he had stored out of sight. And he had accumulated several new items that he had to get shelves and set them up around the room to hold them. It left the room in quite a bit of a mess which he needed to straighten out.

However, he hadn't time at the present to ponder this. Turning around, he walked out of the office and past the curtain and into the shop. His heart stopped as he saw Lucy, standing at the counter on which the register rested. Immediately his heart then started to speed up as he walked steadily to stand opposite of her, making sure the counter was between them. He no longer trusted his excellent sense of control, he needed the buffer between them.

"Lucy, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said, not able to help the smile that appeared on his face as he looked at her. She was wearing a purple peacoat and a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt and what appeared to be a very fitted pair of black jeans. For a moment, he thought considering the dark colors that she was wearing that she was still grieving the Sheriff. However, the smile she flashed at him and the sparkle in her eyes reassured him. The smile was so beautiful that it seemed to stop time. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

"I wanted to see you," she replied, when she got over the breathlessness she felt when she saw that smile on his face. It was one she had never before seen, one she wasn't sure if anyone had ever had the pleasure to see before. It was... so warm and open that she couldn't help the large smile that spread on her own countenance or the way her heart fluttered at the sight of it.

Mr. Gold was sure his heart was thudding so loudly that all of Storybrooke must hear his tell-tale heart. "And how did you manage to get around your strict father?" he asked slightly teasingly and with a good deal of curiosity.

"I think my sister Minerva must have convinced him into giving me a few liberties," Lucy replied with a shrug of her shoulders, not wanting to ruin the immense sense of happiness she felt to be in his presence by mentioning Graham. She rested her hands on the counter and leaned forward against it for a moment, afraid her knees might give out in any moment and needing something to occupy her hands.

"And how have you been, my dear?" he asked softly, still a bit concerned for her considering the way she looked when they last saw each other.

"Much better. As you may know I'm participating in my school's talent show and it's... a good outlet and distraction. I've also been going to the beach a lot and I think the fresh air has done me good," she replied with a smile. She couldn't stop smiling.

"It makes me very glad to hear that," he said in that soft tone of his that she could not doubt its sincerity. Lucy nodded and looked away, down at the counter for a moment. She felt a bit nervous suddenly, as she thought of what her true purpose in coming to his pawn shop was for. Mr Gold was a busy man, and she felt that he may not want to go. However, she was determined to try. So reaching into her pocket, she pulled a slightly thick, long strip with print on it.

"I actually wanted to invite you to see me," Lucy stated, laying the ticket on the counter and sliding her hand across to him, slowly looking up. "The talent show isn't for two more weeks, there are only two evening performances which are open to parents and students alike, or anyone in town who wishes to go. Surprisingly, a lot of people go, so you buy your ticket in advance. This ticket will get you into either Friday or Saturday evening's show. I'd like you to come see me perform, although you don't have to, I know you're a very busy man."

Mr. Gold stared into the green eyes he saw every moment he closed his eyes even for a moment. Looking slowly away from those sparkling gems, he looked at her long slender hand, with its elegant and nimble fingers. Slowly, he reached for the ticket underneath, his fingers grazing hers and causing a little shockwave of electricity that sparked up every nerve in his body. He looked up, their hands both touching the ticket, neither one pulling away.

Her eyes were glued on his, her lips were parted slightly in surprised. He could see a faint tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Of course I'll come, I wouldn't miss you singing for anything," he stated softly, his gaze holding hers. A smile broke out on her face, though Lucy felt nervous flutters in her stomach.

"Well then, I suppose I will see you," Lucy said, with slight regret pulling her hand away. However, she didn't have much of a reason to stay much longer, other than her desire to remain in his presence.

Mr. Gold nodded simply. He hated to see her go, but the mere fact that she came, that she wanted him to see her perform... it was enough to sustain him. "Thank you for the invitation, I'm honored," he offered with a small dimpled smile that turned Lucy's insides into mush. Lucy blushed slightly at this and nodded before turning and walking out of the shop as composed as she could. However, her heart was trilling and there was a small bounce in her step as she went.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **So usually this story, I have like four full chapters written ahead, this gives me plenty of time for editing. The reason for the slowing of the updates is because at present, I only have chapter 12 written and completed and edited ahead, that means the creative juices are slowing some. So updates will probably be slower. For those of you reviewing, its much appreciated.


	12. Chapter 12: The Talent Show

Lucy stood, pacing backstage. The talent show had come up much sooner than she had expected, and though she had practiced until her fingers practically felt like they would bleed, she felt nervous. Daphne had opened up the show with Christina Perri's song 'A Thousand Years', singing to an instrumental version of the song; Daphne had pleased, the entire auditorium clapped and cheered. Currently on stage, a small faction of the school's cheerleaders were doing a choreographed dance to Lady Gaga's 'Telephone'.

A sophomore, earlier on, had dressed up as Napolean Dynamite and performed the same dance as the character in the movie. That had actually been rather amusing. A band of boys, not a very good one in Lucy's opinion as she caught a few slip ups, had performed 'Summertime' by My Chemical Romance. There were countless other performances, a few skits, freestyle poetry and even a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Lucy didn't quite pay attention to the entirety of the show as for quite some time, she had been looking out into the audience. Her father, Christian and all of her sisters were in attendance. They sat in about the sixth row, front and center, taking most of it up. Lucy, however, had been much more interested in looking for Mr. Gold whom she hadn't seen or spoken to since she had visited his shop to give him the ticket.

He'd been very busy of late, she imagined, what with setting a fire to help get the new Sheriff get elected, or so she had heard. Lucy wasn't particularly shocked by this action on his part, if he really was behind it. She was well aware of the kind of man he was, she didn't delude herself in thinking that there was a whole lot of good in him. Though she knew what he did was very wrong, that someone could have gotten hurt or been killed, she couldn't really bring herself to be disgusted by his actions. It was immoral, but it had gotten the job done.

He had taken a bit of power from the mayor, and Lucy couldn't bring herself to really care about the Machiavellian methods he had used as no one did in fact get hurt. Emma Swan, someone Graham had personally chosen for Deputy, was Sheriff now and Lucy felt that's what really mattered. If Lucy was of voting age, she would have voted for Emma Swan for that reason alone.

Once more, turning her attention to the audience, peeking through the curtains, she looked out. Considering the lights were all on a stage, the audience was all shadowed and it was hard to see much of them. The auditorium had been packed and Lucy hadn't been able to spot Mr. Gold... she wasn't sure how she felt about this. She supposed she shouldn't be worried that he hadn't come, he was a man of his word and if he said he'd come, than she knew he would and there was a great chance that he was there and if he wasn't, he'd come the following night.

"Nervous?" she heard her sister ask form beside her. Lucy turned to look at Daphne, who was wearing a white dress that came down to her knees and had inch-thick straps. The dress, while being plain, was very pretty and looked well on Daphne, whose long red hair had been curled for the occasion and fell loosely about her coming down to her waist.

For her part, Lucy had also chose to wear a dress. However, hers was a very dark purple one that stopped several inches above her knee. Considering she would be sitting on a stool, she had chose to wear black leggings underneath, so she wouldn't flash anyone in the audience and was wearing black boots. A black belt with a black leather bow at its center piece, stretched underneath her breasts. However, being as her breasts were only about a handful and the dress she wore had a high, sweetheart neckline, there was no cleavage showing. Her dress was strapless. Her hair was lose, but there was a purple flower affixed on her left side.

"I think it would have been better being first, than I wouldn't have to spend the whole show on pins and needles waiting for my turn," Lucy responded, turning her attention to the cheerleaders who were finishing up.

"Well you're next," Daphne stated. "Least the wait is over." Lucy nodded at this, her stomach twisting. "Here," Daphne went on, holding the acoustic guitar her sister would be borrowing from the school for the performance as the girls struck their final pose and were met with some applause. After taking their bow, they all ran off stage as Mr. Newcastle took center stage with a mic. The stage crew were quick to set up a stool and the mic stand for Lucy a she waited to be introduced.

"Our last performance is by a very talented senior, Lucy Davenport, who will be performing an acoustic version of a song by a band called Moonpool's and Caterpillars. Please welcome to the stage, Lucy Davenport," Mr. Newcastle announced and was met with polite applause as he got off the stage. Lucy took a deep breath.

"Wish me luck," she said almost breathlessly to her sister.

"You don't need it, you'll be great," Daphne said, giving her sister an encouraging smile and giving her a squeeze. Lucy walked on stage steadily, not turning to the crowd. Carefully, she took her seat at the stool, propping her legs up on the peg and placing the guitar gingerly in her lap. Her guitar pick was already in her hand, she slowly raised her gaze and looked for a moment at the audience.

Her fingers started to stroke and dance on the guitar a slow tune. The auditorium was quiet as she slowly leaned in a bit closer to the mic. "_I believe in heaven, and that I should just accept it all,_" she started singing, in a clear voice the words matching the slow melody she played. Closing her eyes for a moment, she allowed herself to feel the words. "_So content with the path that I walk on, surely I should see it all_," she went on, dragging the last syllable out a bit. "_So take care, and don't go to far, I will miss your soul. And when the distance grows and the nights grow long and you're scared at times, and you wonder why, take care and don't go to far, I will miss your soul."_

Playing the guitar, Lucy lowered her head a bit. _"I look into the sky one hundred times, and I've seen the stars that shine so bright. And I'm sure that one of them is you my friend, watching and waiting and hoping that I'll be all right," _Lucy sang, her eyes open slightly and not really seeing the audience though she was looking at them. Before going once more into the chorus and strumming the guitar at the right pace.

The song was about Graham and how she was having a hard time still accepting that he was gone. In part it also expressed her desire for Mr. Gold never to leave her. Because she couldn't stand that. She wouldn't be able to survive it and she wanted him to know it.

"_I believe in heaven, and that I should just accept it all. So content with the path that I walk on, surely I should see it all. So take care, and don't go to far, I will miss your soul. And when the distance grows and the nights grow long and you're scared at times, and you wonder why, take care and don't go to far, I will miss your soul,"_ From where Mr. Gold sat, near the back, his eyes staring unwaveringly at the girl he'd come to love so deeply. She sang with such emotion, that he felt she must be an angel; somehow her voice seemed to have the power to evoke in one the emotions that she wanted one to feel.

He was sure there was not a person in the entire audience who was not staring with awe, who did not feel her sense of loss, and yet peace and calm. The quiet longing. The desire for peace from turmoil. The pleading.

"_The road back home is shorter than you know," _she sang, repeating the phrase slower and slower as the song at last winded down till its end. Slowly lifting her eyes, Lucy focused on the silent audience that merely stared at her for a moment. It seemed to take them a moment to realize that the song was done, and the clapping slowly started.

It was only a slow rumble at first, and Lucy didn't quite expect the standing ovation she received. Her eyes widened when she looked beyond the stage and saw all those that stood and clapped. On slightly shaky legs, she stood from the stool and held the guitar aloft. She gave a small bow before walking off the stage.

It was in a daze that she walked into her sisters waiting arms. The tears in her sisters eyes, the wide smile, it all barely registered. She couldn't quite believe what had occurred, as the song was a rather old one.

XX

There was of course, an after party backstage to celebrate the success of the show. Their father allowed them to stay, so long as they came home at a decent hour. Lucy, not able to really stand all the congratulations and compliments, snuck away from the group and out of the school as soon as she was able to. She was sure that no one would miss her, especially as Daphne was rather enjoying spending time with Mr. Newcastle and the compliments she received for her performance. Daphne had always been a very friendly person, so Lucy was sure she was handing out a lot of her own praises to the other students who had performed.

For a moment, she merely stood outside the auditorium and wondered why she hadn't brought out her jacket. It was pretty cold out, and she was wearing a strapless dress. However, she supposed at least she was wearing leggings, and if she kept moving around she wouldn't feel the cold; she had a high tolerance for the cold. Walking a bit around the the school, Lucy soon found herself walking through one of the paths around the school, this one was through grove of trees. The cold air was actually a bit refreshing, the auditorium had somehow felt stuffy.

Lucy supposed the fact that there were so many trees in Storybrooke and that there was a river and a beach were the charms that Storybrooke had to offer. Small town life was a bore, but it was quaint. She was distracted from these thoughts when she heard something approaching slowly from behind. She turned, and was slightly surprised to find Mr. Gold approaching her.

She paused a small smile slowly appearing on her face as she watched him approach. His lean figure was as always was draped in a finely tailored black suit. He wore a shirt of deep purple with a matching tie and kerchief in his breast pocket: the fact that he was wearing her favorite color did not go unnoticed, though she was sure it only meant anything to her.

His hair, which she wanted desperately to run her fingers through just to know if it was as downy soft as it looked, was perfect as always. His elegant cane in one hand, and in his other, there was a small bouquet of flowers. "You came," Lucy smiled, feeling a warmth come to life inside her. Not simply because he had come, but he had brought her flowers, and seeing him always seemed to make her light up.

"I told you I wouldn't miss it, I keep my word, m'dear," he responded with a small amused smile as he got closer. He stopped a a foot or so from her and offered her the bouquet of bright pink, stargazer lilies. "You sang beautifully, as always."

Lucy accepted the flowers and cradled them in her arms. They were absolutely beautiful and her favorites, she wondered if Mr. Gold knew that, but knew he couldn't possibly. Lilies she knew were usually symbols of purity and innocence. However, they could also express romantic feelings. Lucy once heard that these lilies in particular meant, I dare you to love me. Lucy wondered for a moment as she gazed at them, why Mr. Gold had picked these in particular.

"These are my favorites. Thank you, Mr. Gold, they are beautiful," Lucy said, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling. Mr. Gold's eyes lit up when he heard that they were her favorite. When he had gone to the florist, he hadn't known what to get her. Roses seemed far too obvious and somehow, he felt that Lucy deserved something a bit more original. The lilies simply had been wild and sweet, and had such an alluring scent that Mr. Gold felt that they would just be perfect.

"I am glad you like them," he stated with a smile. He wanted to tell her that they couldn't compare with her beauty, but he thought that might be too forward or sappy, or sounded too much like a line. Besides it would be too fast, and he had told himself he would be patient and wait until she was at least eighteen. He wasn't sure if he could wait any longer than that to try and woo her.

"I love them," Lucy beamed, however, her eyes didn't look away from Mr. Gold. She wanted to close the distance between them and wrap her arms around him in gratitude... and because she just wanted to be in his arms again, but she restrained herself and kept her booted feet firmly planted on the ground beneath her.

Mr. Gold smiled at this as he looked down for a moment, his hair falling momentarily in his face as he adjusted his stance and leaned into his cane. "Well I really must be going," he stated. Her eyes seemed to dim slightly at this, her smile becoming a little sad.

Lucy nodded her head and on an impulse she wasn't aware she was acting on until she was standing before him not a foot a way, she turned her head slightly and shifted for a moment on her tip-toes and pressed a chaste and fleeting kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for coming," she said softly as she pulled away, setting her feet on the ground and looking up at into his eyes. For a moment, they seemed impossibly dark to her, and there was a somewhat wistful, bewildered expression on his face as he gazed down at her.

She hadn't the chance to step away when she felt a hand slip around her waist and press firmly but gently to the small of her back. The heat radiating from the palm holding her, caused her breath to hitch. Her eyes hardly widened before they fluttered closed at the feel of a pair of soft but thin lips pressing feather-lightly against her own. A charge of electricity shot down her spine at the contact.

For his part, the feel of her lips against his skin had made his brain have a blackout, his control center flickered off. It was coming back, now that he had a chance to feel her lips against his. But then when she slipped long fingers he longed to know the touch of... fingertips grazing his scalp with short nails, he couldn't help clutching to her back. His control center shut off completely as shivers of pleasure coursed down his spine, and he couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to hers more fervently, moving them against her almost in a bruising fashion. The world around them slipped completely away.

If Lucy had resisted, he would have stopped. Would have pulled away immediately. However, she was responding to him. Her lips were not just molding to his desire, but actually pressing against his and kissing in return like she was an expert, with his same desperation. He heard the crinkle of the wrapping around the flowers he had given her as she pressed closer to him. And he felt, what he was sure was the tip of her tongue against his bottom lip, he couldn't help his gasp of surprise and the moan from deep within his throat when her tongue slithered into his mouth to meet his.

Boldly, allowing the butterflies that fluttered in her insides have control, Lucy could feel herself tremble. She was sure her knees would give out any second but they wouldn't dare. Not when she felt so alive, so fulfilled, so whole and happy! The man tasted deliciously of mint and coffee and something she couldn't quite place. His tongue felt sinfully wicked as it traced her own. Her grip tightened in his fine, downy, silken strands.

"Where did you learn to kiss like that?" Mr. Gold panted in curiosity, when he had to regretfully end their heated kiss in order to breathe. His brogue was thick with desire, his control center not quite back in working order just yet.

"I'm a natural, I suppose," Lucy breathed back cheekily, her fingers relaxing in his hair, but not about to let go. His hair was so impossibly soft, she'd been wanting to run her fingers through it forever, and now that she knew she didn't want to lose the pleasure of it just yet.

As Mr. Gold looked down into the girl's large green eyes, sparkling merrily, the realization of how youthful she looked and her statement made him recall their reality. His hand slowly slipped from where it clutched to her dress. He straightened himself, looking up and not down into her eyes as best he could as one of her hands was in his hair. With his now free hand, he gently reached up and removed her hand from his hair and took a much needed step away from the seventeen-year-old. He looked around for a moment, a million thoughts flitting through his brain.

"We... _I_ should not have done that. My deepest apologies, Miss Davenport," he stated, putting more than just physical distance between them. He was relieved that on the path they stood, shrouded by trees as it was, and as they stood in particular bend, that no one could have seen them. Not unless they were walking the path themselves. Even from the school, they could not been seen. He felt this was fortunate, as this moment could ruin him and he couldn't believe he had lost control of himself like this.

Lucy slowly allowed her hand to droop to her side, the other still cradling the flowers she had been given, to her chest. She felt her heart and spirits do what her hand had just done and for a moment, she wasn't sure how to react. A part of her was hurt by his statement. A part of her had suddenly become embarrassed by her actions and was wondering how she could be so stupid and imprudent. But yet another part, that which would not be denied, felt suddenly a spark of anger which made her forget to be embarrassed.

"Lucy," she corrected, keeping her voice low. "And don't apologize, from the feel of things you quite enjoyed that, and so did I, so the apologies are superfluous," she went on, trying to keep the anger from her voice, but not succeeding very well as it was shaking. However, she succeeded in keeping her voice at the height of polite conversation.

Mr. Gold looked up at Lucy. He had made her angry. This did not make him happy, and yet... his heart was fluttering and a smile threatened to break on his features he was trying desperately to school. She liked kissing him, she enjoyed it. He felt a sense of triumph at this. "Lucy, if when you turn eighteen you still want me, I will be waiting. But I want to make this clear... even then no on must ever know. I-"

"You don't have to explain it to me," Lucy said with a bemused smirk, feeling a flood of relief which doused her temper. "I know who you are, I don't look at you through rose-colored glasses and blind myself to the things you do which are less than moral or ethical. I know there are plenty of reasons why no one must know and I'll deal with that."

Mr. Gold furrowed his brow slightly, a smile slipping on his features and tilted his head to the side to look at Lucy Davenport. She was a strange girl. Beautiful, young, bold, a bit moody and temperamental and determined. She could be selfless and kind and unfailingly loyal... why a girl like her would want him, knowing the kind of man he was, was really beyond him.

He was more than aware, that they stood on different sides, he'd known that since they met; she, in spite of her nature, was good and he was not. However, he loved her... for everything she was and amazingly, she seemed to in part reciprocate those feelings, or in the least wanted him with that intense determination of hers. And he was never the type that was going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I just wanted you to know what you're getting into, love," he said quietly, before turning and walking away.

"I turn eighteen, March twenty-first," Lucy called out with a smirk as she watched him walk steadily away. Mr. Gold paused for a moment and turned, to see that smirk of amusement he knew and loved. Mr. Gold couldn't help flashing her his own amused smirk.

"I know."

Lucy's smirk broadened into a grin, shaking her head at how she could have possibly thought for a moment that he wouldn't have looked into it. "Of course you do, you make it your business to know everything."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **So on February 1st my net is going to be suspended for three months (maybe longer) because of certain family circumstances. So I'm not sure when I am going to be able to update again. However, I will continue to work on this story, and maybe I will make updates from hotspots. I just wanted to let everyone know so you don't wonder about infrequent updates.

As always please review.


	13. Chapter 13: The Stranger and the Mayor

Lucy picked her way home after Orchestra practice ran late. Holding her violin case in on hand, she readjusted the bag strap just as a sudden gale of wind picked up her black fedora and carried it down the street.

She was rather a bit annoyed of late. She hadn't seen Mr. Gold since their chat and though their chat and the memory of their kiss made her feel like she was walking on clouds, school was becoming rather draining. Since the talent show, boys wouldn't stop bothering her, complimenting her and hitting on her; some were more gentlemanly than others, while others were a bit more persistent and rude. The girls seemed to hate her all the more for it. The only comfort she felt was that she was not alone in this, but Daphne was more adept at handling the attention, she was graceful and had more patience to deal with it; she handled it with charm, while Lucy only felt her ire growing.

"Awesome," she muttered to herself as she turned to see where her hat had landed, her gaze roaming the pavement until she spotted it; the wind had carried it back down the pavement, nearly to the street corner. She moved to pick it up, when she suddenly saw someone else pick it up.

Narrowing her eyes, she stared at the figure of a man, as he straightened. Behind him, was a motorcycle. Cautiously, Lucy approached and realized she had never seen this man before. His dark brown curls, leather jacket and beard sort of reminded her of Graham, making her heart ache dully. However, his eyes were pale blue, and something about their look was unsettling.

"Nice hat," he called as she stepped before him. Lucy momentarily cast a glance at the bike behind him, noting the box and helmet which sat atop it.

"Nice bike," she returned extending a hand, palm up, for her hat. She eyed him for a moment, wondering what he was doing in Storybrooke. She thought he was rather odd when instead of placing her hat in her hand he presumptuously placed it on her head, adjusted it before looking at her sideways.

"Cute," he commented as Lucy continued to merely stare at him, trying to make him out as the wind continued to gust, blowing her hair for moments at a time all over the place. Brushing her hair from her face and tucking it behind her ears, she stared into his eyes.

She wasn't really sure what to make of the person before her. He didn't exactly seem friendly, but he wasn't quite threatening either. He was aloof and his smirk seemed to suggest to her that he was of a temperament that liked startling people; that he enjoyed being a mystery to them, it was his way of mocking them.

"I thought so," Lucy said with a shrug. She made to turn and walk away, unwilling to play his game, however, her curiosity was killing her so she half-turned back to the man who hadn't moved. "Visiting Storybrooke?" she asked, causing him to smirk further.

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked bluntly. The only person she ever recalled coming to Storybrooke was Emma Swan, and considering she was here for her son it didn't seem so strange.

"Why not?" he challenged, his amusement seeming to grow. Lucy merely shrugged and turned to walk away. The man seemed cryptic, and his strange manner was a bit on the creepy side and more than a little arrogant. It seemed a good time to merely walk away and head home, before somehow she got into trouble. "Care for a ride?" he called suddenly after her.

Lucy stopped walking and turned to face the man. She smirked at him for a brief moment, wondering what on earth would posses him to ask and if he really thought that she would accept, if so she thought he was mad. "I don't take rides from strangers, thanks anyway."

"There's a storm coming," he told her, as if the threat of rain would made her reconsider. Lucy paused for a moment and looked to the sky. It was overcast, grey. The winds were picking up steadily, however, it was still too calm.

"I know, but it won't hit until tomorrow," Lucy replied, slowly turning her gaze back to the handsome stranger by his bike.

"Forecast says the day after," he challenged.

"The forecast is wrong, I'm right. You'll see tomorrow," Lucy said with a shrug before turning and walking away, ignoring the last smirk he gave her. Lucy could always tell when a storm would hit, she could always feel it. She wasn't sure why she was always right, but she didn't put much thought into it, thinking it was merely intuition.

It didn't take very long for Lucy to get home, and more than a few times, she had to reach up to her hat and hold it in place. When she got home, she was quick to shed her things and change into a swimming suit and head down to their indoor swimming pool. Since the talent show, she had been making frequent visits, spending hours at a time down there. It helped work out the stress she felt from school, and the mounting sexual tension she felt growing.

She wasn't sure how, but with one kiss, she felt that Mr. Gold lit her soul on fire. Sometimes, their kiss was all she could think about, and she couldn't help fantasizing about his roughened yet elegant, long-fingered hands running over her bare skin. Their heat was emblazoned on her skin, and she wanted to feel them all over her body; she'd never known a heat like them. The heat from the sun, never quite seemed to touch her or warm her in such a way, and she hadn't realized it before, but she was so cold and so used to it, she'd never realized it; she'd never known heat was missing.

However, when she got to the pool that afternoon, she was surprised to see all her sisters down there, lounging around. While Daphne and Adelaide were in the water, floating by the deep end, the rest of her sisters were seated around Minerva on the lounge chairs. Daphne and Adelaide seemed to be watching what appeared to be a heated discussion. Minerva for her part, looked rather harassed.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked as she walked over, raising her brows as it wasn't often that _all_ her sisters gathered like this. Minerva groaned from where she lay. In the chair on Minerva's right, Marina and Trista were seated next to each other facing their eldest sister. On Minerva's left, lounged Elaine, flipping through a vogue magazine and looking largely disinterested and bored.

"Minerva's got a date with the Mayor," Trista supplied, turning to look at Lucy. Lucy felt her jaw drop, not really able to believe her ears.

"What?" she asked loudly and a bit indignantly as she turned to look at Minerva, her brows furrowed in confusion and anger if it were true.

"It's not a date! We are having a business dinner," Minerva said exasperatedly, trying to keep her calm; although it was clear her patience was beginning to wear thin.

"I know what flirting looks like, and I was there. That is not a business dinner. It's a date. If the mayor really wanted to discuss business with you, she would have done it in the office," Trista stated coldly before turning to look back up at Lucy. "You should have seen the way the mayor was looking at her, she was practically undressing her with her eyes. Eye fucking the hell out of her."

Minerva flushed red at this and stood up. "For the last time, it's not a date! And watch your mouth, Trista," Minerva said, sending a withering gaze at Trista. Their blonde sister merely rolled her eyes, briefly Lucy wondered if maybe Ruby was a bad influence.

"Wait, what I don't understand is why Min was dealing with the mayor in the first place. Shouldn't have daddy been doing that, or Elaine? I mean she is the face of the company," Adelaide suddenly piped up, confused. At the mention of her name, Elaine looked up and flipped luscious black curls over her shoulder.

"I'm the face of the company to the public and media, I don't deal with clients, politicians or the like. And daddy hates the mayor, so he pawned her off on Minerva to deal with," Elaine supplied before turning her pale blue eyes back to her magazine.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I mean... we all know Minerva's preference and we're supportive of that. So what if it is a date with the mayor? At least it means she's finally moving on from Ruby," Daphne said, causing Lucy to turn and glare at her.

"It's like if Minerva were to go on a date with Orsa," Lucy commented, causing all her sisters to shudder.

"Exactly! Orsa hated all of us when we were in school. You dating the mayor is like, dating Orsa, a total and complete betrayal," Trista said, looking up at Minerva who was still standing beside the chair she had been reclining in. A hurt look crossed Minerva's eyes at this statement.

"I think you guys are being a little extreme. The Mayor is... not very pleasant all the time, but at least she's... an attractive woman and she doesn't hate us the way Orsa did...does," Marina stated, trying to defend Minerva, causing Trista and Lucy to both shoot a glare at her.

"She had me arrested for stealing a goddam apple!" Lucy cried angrily.

"You didn't actually steal the apple," Marina sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's not the point. The point is we all know that the arrest wasn't about a stupid apple or trespassing. It was about the fact that it was finally her chance to get something on a Davenport. I mean if she saw the culprit enough to know it was one of us, no one would mistake me for Daphne, Daphne's hair is pretty hard to not see, its bright ass red. It wasn't about justice, she just wanted to have one of us arrested to humiliate our family," Lucy snapped.

"Its not a date!" Minerva cried loudly, causing all of her sisters to suddenly look at her at the outburst. Minerva was never one to raise her voice or yell. She was usually the most controlled over her emotions. Well, Elaine was a little more controlled, but perhaps that was because she felt general apathy towards all things but fashion. "Will you all just stop already! Daddy needs me to smooth things over with the mayor and it's all I'm going to do. And even if it were a date, it wouldn't be any of your business," she said, though she faced Lucy when she said this last bit.

Lucy merely stared steadily at her sister, their gazes locked almost in a battle of wills. Lucy simply couldn't understand Minerva. She was willing to go on a date with the mayor, but she wasn't willing to give Ruby and herself a real chance? Lucy huffed and walked away from Minerva, and dived into the deep end, swimming underwater and not coming back up for air until it was absolutely necessary.

When she came back up to the surface, she noted that Minerva had gone, and that Trista and Marina were in the middle of an argument. Apparently Marina had only just realized that the bathing suit that Trista was wearing was Marina's, and like always the two were getting into an argument about it, Trista pretending that she wasn't sure what Marina was talking about. Lucy sighed, shaking her head and diving back under the water and swam near the bottom of the pool until the need for air became unbearable once more and she had to return to the surface again. When she came back up, Trista and Marina were still bickering.

Usually, Lucy would have simply found this amusing, but today she wasn't really in the mood. Sometimes, Lucy wanted to be able to just stay underwater. However, coming to the realization that she would have no real peace in the pool today and feeling she had enough of her sisters for now, she climbed out and headed back to her room. Towelling off, throwing on a set of joggers, running shoes, purple thermal-sweater and grabbing her mp3 player and a set of earphones, she ran out of the house while tying up her hair in a ponytail.

It wasn't long before she was picking through a familiar path in the woods which eventually led to the beach. Lucy concentrated on the music blaring in her ears, on her breathing, on the pace she kept as she pumped her legs. It was some time before she left the gloom of the forest and found herself running around the shoreline. Though the day was still overcast and gray, and the waves were pressing with near violence against the land, Lucy much rather preferred this scenery.

Thinking of it being time to give her legs a bit of a rest, Lucy sat on the sand, panting. She ignored the accelerated rate of her heart, until it calmed and ignored the sheen of sweat that covered her skin as plucked her purple earphones from her ears and stared at the rolling waves as they crashed. Her lungs felt like it was burning.

There was no peace anywhere, Lucy felt. There was unrest only, and she wondered if that was because of the coming storm. Did it cause people to act crazier, she wondered. Lucy still couldn't wrap her mind around it, Minerva was going on a date with the mayor. Mayor fucking Regina Mills!

Stretching out her legs, and bending forward and rubbing them a bit, Lucy took deep breaths, trying to calm down. However, she was still angry. Though the run had put her mind off things and expended energy she needed to get rid of, she could still feel the rage vibrating through her. Trista was right, Minerva going on a date with the mayor was a betrayal. She was betraying her love for Ruby and that wasn't fair.

Straightening her spine, Lucy bent her knees and pulled them to her chest. Wrapping her arms beneath her thighs, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against her knees. She was being harsh on Minerva, she knew it. After all, she could forgive Ruby for dulling her own pain by sleeping around. So why couldn't she forgive Minerva one measly date?

Resting her chin now on her knees, she stared at the waves with a furrowed brow. The wind felt gustier here. For a while, she merely sat, staring at the waves once more. Her thoughts quieted as she tried to figure out the reason why she could forgive Ruby and not Minerva, when Minerva was her own flesh and blood. She was supposed to be on Minerva's side.

But Minerva didn't quite deserve it. She had given up on Ruby. Ruby, on the other hand, would have fought tooth and nail for Minerva, and Lucy knew this. That was the reason she could forgive Ruby, because she had no other choice. It wasn't Ruby who didn't want the relationship, it was Minerva.

And what was Minerva doing accepting a date from Mayor Mills, and _oh, it was a date_. Lucy knew because Trista, despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed, did damn well know when people were flirting or attracted. Besides, Minerva's fervent denials seemed a little too... the-lady-doth-protest-too-much. Or maybe Minerva was just in denial about the whole thing.

However, Lucy didn't think so. Not after that last statement Minerva had shot at her. It was definitely a date, Minerva knew it and accepted it. What Lucy couldn't figure out, was why. Grudgingly, she was willing to admit that the mayor was an attractive woman and that in Storybrooke, Minerva's options were probably limited. After all, the only people Lucy knew that weren't straight were Minerva who was lesbian, Ruby who was bisexual and the mayor who was likely bisexual too if she was interested in Minerva. But if there was anyone father would approve of less than Ruby, not that he even knew Minerva was lesbian, it was the mayor. He did rather seem to loath the woman. So what was Minerva thinking?

Then there was the Mayor herself. What was she doing, eye fucking her sister? Why Minerva? Why did Minerva have to be the next intended victim for her debauchery? Why her sweet, older, already broken-hearted sister? Lucy growled under her breath as the anger flared out and uttered an almost inhuman screech as her hands balled into fists and she pounded on the sand on either side of her.

Regina Mills was a succubus. She had devoured Graham's soul, made it sickly and now she was going after Minerva and there was nothing she could do, she thought as she continued to slam her fists on the ground, unsettling the sand. Lucy stopped, her heart now pounding as tears sprouted in her eyes. However, she tried to calm herself once more, resting her head against her knees and taking deep breaths.

Why was she so worried? It was _one_ date, and Minerva was intelligent. She wouldn't allow herself to be pulled into whatever games Regina played. She should see through the Mayor, Lucy thought to herself, trying to assuage the fear that she felt, which was surely irrational. "Do the storms of your rage usually pass so quickly?" she heard a curious voice ask in the brogue she knew so well and loved so much.

Twisting around, she stared at the man standing behind her, not sure if she wanted him to be here now. The wind was whipping his dusty brown hairs across his face, somewhat obscuring the expression there. However, she could see the furrowing of his brow as he looked at her. He was concerned for her, and Lucy felt her ire slip away some more along with the embarrassment of being caught after a tantrum, which she was sure he had witnessed.

"What's wrong, pet?" he asked, stepping closer to her. He noticed her watery eyes, and he knew that had nothing to do with the wind. As for the violent fit he had just bore witness to... he couldn't really find it in him to be disturbed by it. He always knew Lucy had a temper, and she was passionate, the two when mixed together could result in quite some feral violence. He'd always known Lucy was capable of it, he sensed it in her, and it didn't frighten him. If anything, it made him love her the more, because it made her propensity to love that much more precious. If she could tame the maelstroms inside her, she was perfect for him.

"I've just been very stressed," Lucy exhaled, turning away from him. It made her heart ache to feel that she could not share things with him. She wished she could tell him, share her troubles, but she couldn't tell him about Minerva's preference. Minerva only ever trusted that part of herself to her sisters and Ruby. They were the only ones who knew and it was not Lucy's place to out her. Minerva wasn't ready. Perhaps she never would be.

"You could trust me, Lucy. I wouldn't ever do anything to intentionally hurt you," he said, moving so he stood beside her. He understood her reticence to share with him. In a way, it made him hurt to know she couldn't really trust him because of who he was and perhaps that was wisdom on her part.

Lucy smiled wryly. "Very astute of you, throwing in the word _intentionally_," Lucy commented dryly as she stared at the sea, glad for the opportunity to steer away the conversation.

"I'd break my word, if I promised to never hurt you. I'm sure I will at some point, I am not an easy man to deal with," he stated dryly, loathing having to admit it to her, for fear that she would run from him. However, she did say to him that she knew the man that he was, and he was convinced every time he saw her that she could see more and more through him; she still felt something for him, so he felt admitting it wouldn't make her run.

"I know what you meant, I'm of course teasing. I'm not quite sure what it is about love, that makes us hurt the ones we love, even if it is never our intention," Lucy said with a frown as thought about Minerva while staring unseeingly at the slamming waves. The way Minerva had hurt Ruby, the way she had hurt herself in the process of ending their relationship because father had forbidden her to see Ruby anymore. She recalled the pained look in Minerva's eyes when Trista had told her she had betrayed them all. Trista had hurt Minerva with those words, Lucy had seen the pain flash through her eyes, but she was sure it was not what Trista had wanted. They were just worried for her. Ruby, the way she dealt with her own pain, Lucy was sure it caused Minerva extreme heartache.

Lucy got to her feet and wiped the sand off her bottom and pants. She picked up the earphones and shut off her mp3 player that was still blaring music which was surprisingly almost overwhelmed by the sound of the waves. Stuffing them into her pocket, she turned to Mr. Gold and looked up into his eyes, and studied his face. Tenderly, she reached out and brushed hairs from his face and attempted to tuck them behind his ears, her fingers briefly ghosting over his skin. His eyes were locked on her face, watching her intently.

When she had done all she could, her eyes returned to his and she smiled even though her heart ached. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips again, to share another earth-shattering kiss with him, but now was not the time. "Just don't hurt me by giving up on us," Lucy whispered as her eyes held onto his dark-brown ones unyieldingly.

Mr. Gold felt his heart thud slowly, but like a hammer against his chest. The thuds were loud, and hard, almost as though his heart were about to leap out his chest and at Lucy, it's savior. "Only if you don't," he replied quietly.

"I could never," she said simply giving him a look filled with her yearning and desperation for him, before turning to walk away. It was getting late, and she needed to get home. Her encounter with Mr. Gold and her time on the beach, had pacified her spirits some. It wasn't completely satisfying but for now, it would simply have to do.

XX

"Lucy! What are you doing here?" Ruby asked as Lucy walked into the diner the following day, approaching the counter. Lucy didn't say anything as she merely plopped down in front of Ruby. Ruby, seeming to note the mood Lucy was in, toned down her delight and furrowed her brow slightly. "What's wrong?"

Lucy shook her head at this. Normally, she would have said something to Ruby as she trusted the older girl and loved her like a sister. However, she didn't see the point in hurting or alarming Ruby at this point. Mentioning the fact that she was currently not speaking to Minerva and vice versa wasn't on the agenda for today. "I just came by to ask how my baby is doing," Lucy commented with a shrug of her shoulders and a sigh. She rather missed her guitar, now would be a perfect time to have it.

"Oh, well it's fine of course. Although, I'm not sure why you need me to keep it, why don't you just sell it? It's not like you're using it," Ruby commented. Lucy merely gave Ruby a look that told her that was not up for discussion, causing Ruby to roll her eyes. "Well while you're here can I get you anything?"

"Fries and a shake?" Lucy smiled. She wasn't sure why, but it had become one of her comfort foods. Ruby flashed a scarlet-red smile.

"Fries and a shake, coming right up," Ruby said, walking away. Lucy merely shook her head as she swiveled around for a moment and looked around the diner, which was not as empty as Lucy had expected it to be. Today, for some reason Lucy couldn't quite fathom, the diner also seemed particularly dimly lit. However, just then as she swiveled some more, her eyes landed on the stranger she had seen the previous day. "Don't you think our mysterious visitor is hot?" Ruby whispered suddenly, causing Lucy to turn back and face her.

She watched as Ruby eyed the visitor with a lascivious smile and hungry eyes. Lucy merely shook her head. "Sure if you go for that look," she muttered under her breath, causing Ruby to turn her dark eyes to her.

"Sometimes you make me wonder, girl," Ruby said, shaking her head. "Anyway, he's staying at the Inn. He's a writer you know? That's what he's lugging around in that box of his. I noticed it this morning when I turned down his room."

At this bit of information, Lucy was genuinely intrigued. She'd always liked to read books, and she wondered if the stranger was a novelist, or a journalist, and if he was the former, what kind of books he wrote and if he'd had anything published. However, she shoved these thoughts from her mind thinking that she really shouldn't care about the man at all. A sudden clap of thunder made Ruby jump and Lucy smirked in amusement.

"Luce, why'd you come to the diner when it's gonna rain cats and dogs? If it were up to me, I would have stayed curled up in bed," Ruby said with a groan as she walked away to clean after a few customers who were leaving.

"I wanted to get out of the house," Lucy replied with a nonchalant shrug as she turned and watched Ruby work. Really, she needed to get out of the house, the tension between all her sisters was a bit much. While Elaine and Adelaide were content to remain neutral about the subject arisen the previous afternoon, Trista and Lucy were not quite on good terms with Minerva who had the support of Daphne and Marina. "It gets boring being cooped un in there all day."

Ruby had just finished cleaning off the rubbish and wiping down the table when her order was up. Walking back and dumping the garbage away and getting rid of the towel, Ruby waltzed over to grab Lucys plate and placed it before her before going to get her milkshake. Lucy started to stuff her face with fries at that moment, dipping them in the ketchup she'd put on the plate, when Ruby got back. "So, anymore gossip you want to share with me?" Lucy asked cheekily, reaching for her shake and drinking it. She knew Ruby liked to gossip and Lucy found she was a good source for the happenings of Storybrooke.

"Hmmm," Ruby hummed as she considered. "Other than our heroic new Sheriff saving some kids from the foster system and reuniting them with their father, there's not much else I'm afraid."

Lucy raised a brow at this, setting down her half-empty shake glass. "Wait, you're going to have to spill on that one, that's one I haven't heard," Lucy commented, causing Ruby to grin widely, leaning on the counter and going into story mode. Lucy listened, becoming more and more impressed with their Sheriff as the story unfolded. By the time Ruby finished, the downpour had already started outside, beating rather heavily and Lucy had finished her fries and shake. "Hmm... so our Sheriff saves people from burning buildings _and_ children from foster care. What can't our heroine do?"

"You forgot saves people from mine shafts _and_ stands up to the town devil, if she played for my team I'd totally hit that," Ruby added with a smile to Lucy's dry writ and seemingly unable to throw in some of her own sense of wit.

Lucy got to her feet and dug in her jacket for money to pay for her shake and fries, leaving a generous tip for Ruby as well. Part of her statement had caused Lucy's heart to clench. She knew to whom Ruby was referring to, and she knew Ruby had her reasons for calling him that. Most of Storybrooke did, he _was_ the town devil to them. However, it pained her to know that her love for him would be seen as a betrayal to those she loved and held dearly.

Frowning momentarily, she realized that for this reason Trista was angry at Minerva and in a way Lucy was too. It was almost be hypocritical of her. However, Lucy felt there was a very distinct difference. Minerva didn't love the Mayor, Lucy loved Mr. Gold with an intensity that was at times painful. Besides, that wasn't really the reason she was angry at Minerva. She wasn't even really angry anymore; it was that she couldn't shake off the worry she felt for her, and the frustration she felt at Minerva not being with Ruby as she should be.

"I'll see you, Ruby," Lucy said.

"Why don't you stay a while longer, wait for the rain to let up," Ruby said, motioning towards the window. The rain was still coming down rather hard. Ruby hoped she could coax her younger friend into staying, noting the sudden change in Lucy's mood and feeling she had said something to upset her.

"I'm not afraid of a little rain and gusting winds," Lucy said with a playful sneer. "I'll see you." Lucy turned and walked away, heading to the door. As she did, she passed up the stranger sitting in the booth. She really couldn't help turning to him. "Hey stranger-danger," she called as she passed him up, causing him to look up at her. He cocked his head to the side.

"Fedora-girl," he stated coolly, not in the least amused by the epithet she used for him.

"I told you the storm would hit today," she told him with a smug smirk, before turning and striding out of the diner and into the pouring rain, which was almost icy. But that didn't bother Lucy. It was just a bit of water after all, and she always rather felt that was her element.

XX

"_You haven't been getting into trouble, of late."_

_Andrina didn't turn to look behind her as she held onto the column, leaning her head against it and looked down below. Adella was flirting with one of the guards, distracting him from his work and making his seahorse overly excited. "Ariel was the trouble maker, she somehow managed to always drag me along. But she's gone now so..."_

"_We all miss her, Andrina. You're the only one that is moping around. You know if you miss her so, daddy can arrange for you to visit her," Attina commented dryly, swimming over to her sister. Andrina didn't say anything in response to this. She wasn't sure what Attina's problem was of late, maybe it very much bothered her that their youngest sister had gotten married first and she was becoming an old maid. _

_However, Andrina knew what her own problem was and it wasn't that she missed Ariel, which of course she did. After all Ariel was her sister, but she had another problem. "I have absolutely no desire to be human, they can be such weak creatures. I like swimming where I please, I love home," Andrina replied morosely. "I've just been thinking."_

"_Of?" Attina inquired curiously, losing her snappish tone, as she floated over so that she was next to her sister. _

"_What if Ariel's prince hadn't managed to kill Ursula?" Andrina said, turning to look at her sister's brown eyes as her own brows drew together in a frown. "We were all so close to coming to destruction, and... what would have our lives meant, what would we have to show? I just feel so empty. I feel like when mother died, she left this hole nothing has ever filled and... I feel as though I have been dead inside and now there is just this ache inside me, a longing for something more and I don't know what it is."_

"_Andrina, mother's part of the sea, she's in the water," Attina said softly, causing Andrina to turn and look at her. She furrowed her brow as she stared at her sister, whose dark brown hair was held in a tight bun and seemed to be eclipsed by the pronged-crown she wore. Attina flashed her a soft, warm smile. "When I feel lost and most alone, I just close my eyes and let it wash over me. And I can feel her... feel her love and I don't feel so alone anymore."_

_Lucy turned away from Attina at this. She knew that her sister was only trying to help, when a merman or mermaid passed, they became sea foam and so to part of the sea. However, this didn't comfort Lucy if anything it made her feel worse. "I don't feel her," Lucy commented sadly. "Maybe because I didn't get to know her as long as you, and I need more." Lucy said, swimming away, wanting to be away. _

**TBC...**

**A/n: **So I've been without internet for all of a week. We had it unexpectedly reactivated today... it was a bit of a hassle. But now I can update! :D

Been meaning to say thanks to those people who take the time to review with a bit of frequency: .Princess, DarkFoxPriestess, Ravenclaw992, -sparrow, thablueGRRL, Rock The Rain. I know it's not always easy to submit a review, and I just wanted to thank you and let you all know it is very much appreciated.

Anyway, hope the chapter is enjoyable. As always, please review!


	14. Chapter 14

_Rumpelstiltskin sat on the abandoned, moon drenched beach, lost in thoughts, schemes and visions. The darkness and constant pain of his existence seemed quieted by the night and the solitude. Humans could be so incredibly tiresome, infuriating, loathsome, despicable... the list went on and on. Sniveling things, greedy things... many which deserved suffering and perhaps only one in the lot with any decency, and even they were so easily corrupted and manipulated. _

_He'd long ago started denying that a part of him had ever been human, allowing that piece of him to fade away over the decades that passed. However, losing his humanity sometimes frightened him. The rage, and destructiveness... the violence inside, it was overwhelming. Sometimes it was near impossible to contain it, every single moment agony to simply keep himself from destroying every living thing in his path. _

_Peace was hard to come by. Tonight was one of those rare instances, and he guessed that was because he brought himself away to a place where no human would come. No human would trespass here, he wasn't even sure if any human knew this beach was even here. _

_This beach was isolated by cliffs and rocks. No ships would come into this bay, for fear of crashing against the rock formations that rose from the sea. Usually, the waters here raged, but tonight they were calm. The waves barely lolled against the beach. He felt that had something to do with the daughter of Triton, laying in the shallows of the water staring up at the clear night and the large full moon; the only indication she was there was the switch of her beautiful tail now and then, rising from the water and reflecting the light of the moon in shiny scales of purple._

_She hadn't yet noted him, which was how he wanted it. Rumpel could go unseen if he so wanted, only appearing to the humans he approached when he wished them to be aware of his presence. For now, he merely wanted to observe her._

_The mermaid intrigued him. Before meeting her and her sister, he didn't know that they truly existed. Of course, he had heard stories of them, but they were only that he thought. Sailors described beautiful, enchanting creatures. Warned against their songs which bewitched men and led them to their doom. _

_He'd always thought this was a mere metaphor, that the true danger was the sea, which called men away from their homes to long voyages on dangerous seas. Or that the sailors were touched by a bit of madness due to their long time spent away from land, often on becalmed seas running low on freshwater and rations._

_However, some men spoke of them as if they believed in their existence with the fervor and conviction of madmen; which is always absolutely certainty, at least in their own mind. Those men spoke of mermaids with the awe and fear one held for gods. Some warned mermaids were as cruel and dark, as they were beautiful and seductive, but then in Rumple's opinion, beauty and seduction were evils and so it it was one in the same to him. They also said that for a man to see a mermaid, it was an omen of death and destruction. There were tales of mermaids grabbing men, and dragging them under the sea, to never be seen again; drowning them._

_But how much of it was real? Now that he knew that mermaids in fact existed, how much from the stories was true? Was their singing truly able to bewitch men? Did they truly destroy ships and drown men who spotted them? Did they truly have no souls, as some stories claim? Where they even mortal? And if they could sing, and bewitch men by their voice alone, what other powers did they posses?_

_Ariel, the mermaid he'd been tricked into thinking was human, seemed far too sweet and docile to be something so destructive and cruel. However, her sister Andrina... he paused there. She was beautiful, but angry, and she had been fearless of him. Rumpel wasn't used to that... he was used to everyone being afraid of him since he'd inherited these wretched powers. He was the most powerful creature in the realms. There was nothing else that could even rival him._

_As it was, Ariel had disconcerted him. She was the first human he'd ever come across whose future, past and present were clouded from him. Even learning her name, did not give him the usual powers over her. However, now that she was permanently human, he'd noticed that her present and future were no longer completed clouded form him. _

_He had begun to theorize that he could not see into the lives of merfolk. When Ariel was a mermaid, her future was safe from him. Now that she was permanently a human, that was no longer that case. However, he had no access to her mermaid past. Just as he had no access to any vision of Andrina, who his instincts told him was supposed to play a part in his existence. An important part._

_It was cause for concern. If Andrina were to be in his future, he had to know if she was a danger to him... or an ally. Already, she had proven to be unafraid of him. Though she had been wary of him, there had been no real fear in her towards him. He had to know her nature. _

_He hadn't created the dark curse and given it to his pawn, the Evil Queen, to later have all his plans thwarted by an unforeseen variable. It had taken him decades to create that blasted curse, which he needed to be free of the darkness which caused him crippling pain, payment for the magic which flowed through his being. _

_He wanted to be free of it, but the magic was also what kept him alive. The curse would at least make him human once more and trap most of the power deep inside where it could not hurt. However, the magic necessary for the curse required a great sacrifice, a hole that would never be filled. _

_It took him decades after finally finishing the curse to find the perfect candidate to enact it as he couldn't do it himself. It would defeat the purpose of its creation. There was no point trading in agony of the magic he contained, for the agony of an unquenchable hole; no, neither was acceptable for him, he needed someone selfish and too blind to see what they were sacrificing. _

_He just wanted to be free, wanted peace and on his terms, not anyone else's. Whatever he had been when he was human, he most certainly had never done anything to deserve this fate! And he was not going to allow anything to rot his carefully schemed release, not even a beautiful, enchanting mermaid. Everything was going according to plan, this anomaly was not acceptable. _

_Getting to his feet, he walked slowly down the beach, his eyes glued on the mermaid beneath its surface. He stood next to her, and peered down on her nearly prone figure as she lay in the shallows in the sand. If one ignored her figure from the waist down, one would think they had com across a drowned girl. The moon, lighting her through the water, showed like stripes of pearlescent white against her already pale skin. _

_She was a stunning creature, he thought dryly as his eyes drank in the flat plains of her abdomen, the tiny waist, the pretty tail. It would be a shame if she'd have to perish, he thought as he tilted his head, standing on the surface of the water. When her eyes opened and looked directly at him, he felt himself grin maniacally at her. She did not appear startled as she slowly raised herself on her elbows, her head rising over the water. Her hair lay flat and wet on her head, while the tips floated about her collarbone in the water, looking like ink. _

"_Rumpelstiltskin, I was wondering if you would approach me. Took you long enough," she stated dryly, eyeing him warily. His grin turned a bit more sinister as he realized she had known he was watching her the whole time. He tried to contain the rage that suddenly flared up, but merely stared at her curiously. "What do you want?" she asked a bit sharply, eyes narrowed in suspicion. However, she didn't move from her reclining position, and he guessed that had something to do with her gills and her need to keep them underwater so she could breathe. _

_Rumpel crouched on the water, bringing his face a little closer to hers as he giggled. "Clever. Fearless. And you can sense my presence when I want to be undetectable. What other surprises do you have in store for me, dearie?" he questioned, eyes glowing in the dark so that she stared up at them, completely enthralled. _

"_Is it questions you came with? Well if you want answers, they'll come with a price," she stated coolly. Rumpel giggled again, throwing his head back maniacally, wondering why he thought for a moment that this would be simpler than it was, why he'd thought even for a second that she'd be easy to trifle with. _

"_I knew you knew how to play the game. Is there no pulling one over on you, pet?" he asked, turning back to her gleefully. He moved so that he could sit above the surface of the water with his legs cross. Andrina warily noted this ability to walk on water, and stay on its surface, as if the surface tension was enough to sustain him. "What's your price?"_

"_My sister owes you a favor-"Immediately he started shaking his head, wagging a finger in front of her, knowing where she was going with this. _

"_No, no, no," he singsonged, turning to look at her and grinning like a cheshire cat. "Her deal is hers alone to pay. I will not renegotiate the terms," he said, though he could if he so wanted to. However, he would need that favor Ariel owed of him sooner or later, and frankly a few questions to sate his knowledge about mermaids was not worth it. _

_Andrina glared at him. "Fine. You may ask me five questions, in return you will answer five of mine, honestly," she told him. _

"_Only five?" he asked, pouting. At the look she gave him, he growled under his breath. "FINE!" he nearly snarled, however, Andrina was unaffected by this and merely cast a haughty glance at him._

"_First question?" she asked. Rumpel pondered this. He only had five questions. What was most imperative for him to know? _

"_Are you mortal?" he asked. _

"_I suppose so," Andrina replied with a shrug of her shoulders, wondering why his interest. At the sharp look he gave her, she guessed that he wanted her to clarify. Andrina sighed. "We have long lives, up to three-hundred years long, and we are not exactly fragile. But yes, we die," she said, causing him to look thoughtful and nod. "Next."_

"_Do your kind have souls?" he asked, not sure of this. Ariel, he had recognized as a desperate soul, however, he wasn't sure if that was because at the time she was momentarily human or if even merfolk had souls. _

"_Of course we do," she responded, looking offended. "Next."_

"_The voices of mermaids, does it truly have the power to bewitch men, even unto their doom?"_

"_Yes," she replied tartly, as if this were a question she really would have preferred not to have to answer. "But we do not sing to men. Unfortunately there are those of us who are caught unawares. We are not to be blamed for that," she said, as though defending her race against some accusation at purposeful wickedness. _

"_Of course you do, dearie," he said, purposefully trying to rise her ire, she was so pretty when she was angry. "Is that why you drown men?"_

"_It's us or them," she said furiously, as her face colored. "That's simply survival. That counts as your fourth question, Rumpel. I'd think very carefully of what you want your last to be," she stated coldly, glaring at him. Rumpelstiltskin smiled his trademark snarl at her at the use of the disrespectful nickname and the fact that she had cheated him out of a question. However, if that was how she wanted to play it, he'd get her back. _

_For now, he merely considered what he should ask next and finally decided. "Apart from the obvious, what are the differences between merfolk and humans?"_

"_Apart from the obvious and what I've already told you," she said, considering this. There wasn't a whole lot she actually knew about humans. "From what I've observed; our frames are built like iron or steel, we are stronger than humans. Our bodies withstand immense pressure and extreme temperatures. When we mate, it is for life, we only ever love one. When we have found our mate, there is no doubt at all about whether they are the one or not because when we kiss, our heart sings to our mate, and theirs calls back in response. We lay eggs when we mate, usually on the one per gestation period but it can be as many as three but that is rare. _

"_Because merfolk are the embodiment of the sea, when we die we transmute to sea foam and return to the sea. The only fate worse than death for someone of my race, is to have ones heart broken and unanchored from the world, because that mermaid or meman's heart becomes wild and cold as the sea can be; they become a creature without reason and of destruction, usually requiring capture, after which they are put out of their misery."_

_Rumpelstiltskin tried to catalogue the wealth of information. There was a lot to process, and he only became more and more intrigued by the creatures that lived under the sea. However, he was out, and it was now her turn. He looked up at the mermaids big green eyes and looked at her expectantly._

"_My turn," Andrina said, shaking off the melancholia the last bit of her statement had risen in her. She thought for a moment as she looked at the creature and wondered, if anything, what she wanted to ask him. "What do you want from my sister?"_

"_I don't know yet, but I foresee a great desperation for her help in my future," he replied cryptically, and that couldn't be helped because he truly did not know; he only sensed it. _

"_Why the interest in my kind?" she asked, narrowing her eyes on his suspiciously. _

"_Because until I saw you, I thought your kind were merely myth or legend, or drunken-maddened sailors' tales," he replied, trying to keep himself from smiling too widely at the trick he had in store for her. _

"_You closely resemble humans, more so than my kind. However," she said, pressing her hand to his chest, slipping it inside the opening of his shirt and utterly startling him by her forwardness; but even the darkness within him delighted in it, probably because it was so improper in their world. He'd never quite come across someone so willing to touch him, and this touch was rather intimate. "You have no heartbeat, and apart from the magic, I could sense that you were not quite human. You're something else. So what are you?" she asked quietly, her eyes slowly looking up from where her hand rested to look up into his eyes. _

"_I was once human, but that was far over a century ago," he replied, reaching to grab her wrist in a tight grip and pulling it away from his person. He squeezed until it was painful and looked at her for reaction, but her gaze never flickered, her pretty face never registered pain so he loosened his grip. Had she been human, that grip would have broken her wrist; so they were of stronger frame, he concluded with a grimace. _

"_You haven't yet answered my question," she said pointedly, snatching her wrist from him and allowing it to rest back underwater to support her frame up. He glared at her and grit his teeth for a moment, he didn't want to answer, knowing that if she was a threat to him, any information he gave her could be used against him. But a deal was a deal. _

"_I am a forsaken creature of no name. I am darkness, agony, violence, torment and desperation trapped in this. I am feared all over the realms, the most powerful of creatures, and yet every desperate soul seeks me," he replied with a malicious grin which seemed sour. Ariel had been a desperate soul... Andrina was not... He glared at the beautiful mermaid, she worried him. He had no power over her._

"_So I'll take that to mean you don't know what you are?" she asked, and Rumpel wanted to strike her for her cheek. He wanted to wipe that smirk from her face and ensure her perfectly sculpted brow could never rise again. However, instead, he merely closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side until he heard his neck crack and then proceeded to do the same to the other before slowly opening his eyes to meet hers._

_Andrina felt a twinge of guilt rise inside her as she looked at the unfortunate creature before her. Her eyes softened as his eyes rose to meet hers with menace. However, she ignored this, feeling she deserved it. She had made light of what she was sure must be a torture-some existence. "For what it's worth, I think you're wrong."_

_He looked at her questioningly at this. "If you were human and transmuted to what you are now, I'm sure there is part of the human you were still inside you," Andrina replied. "Merfolk are the sea, and must return to it. Ariel had to become human to be with her prince, but her heart will always be that of a mermaid. So though your heart may no longer beat, it is still of the human you were."_

_Rumpelstiltskin stared at Andrina, wondering how this mermaid, who he imagined must be a young one, could see through him. He didn't like it and rose to his feet to walk away. "We're not finished," Andrina said with a furrowed brow, looking after him. _

"_Oh but we are, dearie. You asked five questions and you're right, I don't quite know what I am," he said. _

"_That was my fourth question, not my fifth," Andrina argued, causing him to turn and look at her. He laughed merrily as he skipped back over and leaned over her, bending at the waist and making his eyes level with hers. His stringy hair falling on each side of her face, his nose nearly touching hers. _

"_You asked me if I wasn't sure what I was, you asked me what I was, you asked me for my interest in your people, you asked me for my interest in your sister," he said, ticking off the questions on his fingers. Andrina raised a brow at him as he raised his thumb. "You asked me for my first question," he grinned with mirth as he suddenly snatched her chin with his hand and dug his sharp nails into her neck, knowing that if she were human, his nails would have been able to tear out her throat. "And you're wrong, pet. Whatever was human inside me died a long time ago."_

_Andrina wasn't quite sure what possessed her. A part of her was angry that in a way he had out-witted her. A part of her was inflamed that he had not once, but twice, laid his hands harshly on her. But then, her heart beat wildly at the contact. Fear, adrenaline, excitement, it all seemed to mix and swirl within her like a whirlpool. She wanted to beat him, she wanted to show him she was right and he was wrong. And as her hands clamped on his shoulders and dragged him with all her might to her level, trapping him beneath her, she realized she simply wanted him. _

_Her tail wrapped around his legs, binding his legs quickly just as she rolled on top of him. One of her hands dug under his back to hold him over the water, while the other grasped onto his hair. Her lips lowered onto his before he could react to what was happening, her movements so fast that her speed completely caught him off guard. _

_Andrina had never kissed anyone before, and previously, she'd never much thought of it. She'd always been too busy trying to keep an eye on Ariel, that she'd hardly seemed to have time for much else. Between lessons and her sisters, she hadn't spared a thought to this other part of her. Her passions had always been directed elsewhere. _

_However, Rumpelstiltskin brought something up inside her she had long ignored. She didn't care that he looked odd, as she ran her thumb over his cheekbones, something about him simply fascinated her. His skin which she'd thought would actually have the texture of sand, was actually a lot smoother. His lips were astonishingly warm and hot. She licked his lips as she moved her own against him, and found he tasted deliciously salty and she moaned as she slipped her fingers farther in his scraggly hair. _

_She could feel one of his hands on her waist, making her suddenly feel dizzy as her heart started to beat so fast she was sure it was actually vibrating in her chest. Warmth she'd never felt before her, bloomed from her chest and where her body met his. When his tongue slipped inside her mouth, she forgot to breathe. As their tongues dueled for dominance, she felt as though before this moment in her life she'd only been half-alive and it had all led to this._

_As his fingers skimmed over her skin, his nails scraping against it, Andrina became aware of a vibration not her own. Slowing her lips against his, nibbling on his bottom lip gently, she felt a beat that seemed to resonate her own. Her hand slid unconsciously from his hair, trailed along his throat and down to his chest. Beneath her fingers, she could feel a heartbeat._

_His heartbeat, her own, the warmth swirling within her and dancing over her skin all seemed to come together and rushed into her ears. She could hear him moaning beneath her and belatedly she realized as she slowly drew away that she had been writhing wantonly over him. At some point, her tail had fallen between his legs and her lower half had been grinding against something hard in his trousers. Panting, she stared through glazed eyes down into his._

_Her heart still beat wildly as she stilled over him and looked into those yellow eyes which were almost terrible but in this moment seemed very human. The glow in them almost seemed to recede, the pupil dilated and dominating the eye, the edges around becoming a very warm brown. _

_She felt her heart clench as gripped his wet, leather vest with her hand. She frowned as she stared down at her hand as it gripped the hard leather just over where his heart still beat. "Your human-heart is very much alive," she said so quietly he wouldn't have been able to hear her is she were not close enough for him to feel her breath on his damp skin._

"_Just because I'm no longer human, doesn't mean I don't feel desire, pet," he snapped breathily, trying to deny and refute it while willing the darkness not to recede... he still needed the magic, its what kept him alive. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and walked away from her, pacing in the sand. _

"_My heart sang for you," Andrina whispered, stricken as she realized the implications. Rumpelstiltskin snapped his head to look at the mermaid who was now sitting up. _

_He wanted to take joy in her despair at her realization that her mate was an accursed creature who she would never get the opportunity to be happy with. However, he felt incredible pain. He felt sorry for her, he felt sorry for himself. He'd never had a happy ending and he was sure that was supposed to be his fate; now this poor, beautiful, enchanting creature would never have hers._

XX

"_Be careful, emotional entanglements can lead us down very dangerous paths."_

He'd warned her, he'd attempted to help her. Hell, he'd even given her information without asking anything in return, but no, the stubborn, headstrong Emma Swan refused his help. Mr. Gold almost wanted to laugh at the fact that she trusted Sydney Glass of all people, over him. He'd rather felt that was incredibly stupid on her part. Sure, she was right in not trusting him, but trusting _Glass_?

He stared at the cold monstrosity of a playground, leaning against the sturdy trunk of a tree. As if was getting rather late, all the children had gone along with their mothers. The playground was now empty, and deserted, but for a singular person climbing up along the incline of the slide.

He was starting to rethink his shift in sides. Emma Swan, for all her pluck, candor and bravery was incredibly... irritating. She wasn't as bright as he wished she would be, nor as cool and removed as he would hope. She wasn't clear-headed and went with her gut and made far too many mistakes for his liking.

Of course, he could understand. She was trying to protect her boy, she was retaliating due to his hurt. However, in the end she had simply embarrassed herself, and came out the loser while Regina, as usual, came up smelling like a rose. Though, he loathed it, he had to hand it to Regina for winning this one so utterly, and for moving so quickly. Though the playground he was anything but impressive.

Mr. Gold felt his heart leap in his throat as the slender figure hoisted herself onto the platform over the slide, and picked her way to the other side before lowering herself on top of the red tunnel. Very slowly and quietly, he approached, not wanting to startle the girl as he wondered what she was doing. He felt concern for what a fall from such a height could do to her, reminded how fragile human's could be.

He didn't have to wonder what she was doing long, as he watched her sit on top of the tunnel, one leg falling on each side. From her sweater, he watched her pull a permanent marker from her pocket. "What are you doing, Lucy?" he called as he looked up at her, his entire reason behind his attempts to aid Emma Swan. Lucy looked up startled and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she saw him, flashing him a small smile. She was very high up, and he had to crane his neck quite a bit to look up at her face.

"I find it rather odd, that the Mayor would construct a playground in the middle of the woods; aren't you supposed to warn kids to stay away from the woods? This also has to be the most hideous playground I've ever seen," Lucy stated haughtily from where she was perched, spitting out the Mayor's title, still feeling sore about things.

"And you think defacing it will make it look better?" he questioned ironically.

"This isn't to deface it," Lucy commented, motioning to the marker in her hand even as she uncapped it and turned away from him. He watched as she leaned her body forward and started to write. "It's not like anyone is going to see it anyway, not unless they have the dexterity and balls to climb up here," Lucy called as she finished and leaned back, replacing the cap on the marker and putting it in her pocket. She then swung her leg around and looked down. "Could you back up a bit?" she asked, though it didn't very much sound like a request so much as a command.

Mr. Gold did as she asked, watching her apprehensively as she jumped from where she sat. She landed in a crouch, causing him to wince at he was sure was a hard impact. However, she didn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort as she walked over, her face only scrunching up for a moment as she straightened. "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked as she walked past him and over to a fallen log to sit.

Mr. Gold followed her lead and sat beside her, stretching his bad leg before him and leaving quite some space between them. Perhaps more than necessary, but considering he seemed to be unable to control himself around her, he felt it best. Especially when considering that of late, he'd been having frequent erotic dreams of her. Dreams he had a hard time getting out of his mind during the waking hours.

"I was curious to see the mayor's creation and I agree with you, it's rather monstrous," he said, looking with distaste at the new children's play area. Trying to focus on anything but the beautiful girl beside him, whom always made his heart race whenever she was near. He wondered briefly how it was, that even when she was wearing joggers and a sweatshirt as she was at this moment and when he'd last seen her, that she still managed to look beautiful.

Lucy smiled, momentarily chewing on her bottom lip as she looked out of the corner of her eyes at the man beside her. His quiet, polite, and yet ironic remarks made her want to throw herself at him. Placing her hands down on the bark, she held onto it as if to keep from doing just that. Turning away from him, she looked at the Mayor's creation. "You know, I don't recall ever playing at one of these when I was a kid."

"I imagine it would have been difficult for your father to bring seven little girls to a park and keep his eyes on all of you," Mr. Gold stated. Lucy nodded at this as she furrowed her brow. She didn't really recall anything from before her mother's passing, and even her childhood after was more than a little fuzzy.

"I suppose so," Lucy said with a shrug, trying to get rid of the sudden feeling of unease she felt. It happened whenever she tried to remember her past; it was why she strived so hard to merely stay in the moment. "It's just as well too. I imagine Daphne and I would have gotten in much more trouble as kids if we had to play in a place like this."

"Daphne... that's the red-head?" he said, tilting his head. Lucy turned her head to the man beside her, for a moment her green eyes watching him warily. However, she merely nodded in response thinking that if she loved the man, she'd have to learn to trust him and the only way to do so was to give him a chance to prove that she could trust him.

"Yes, she's the youngest. When we were kids, we'd get in trouble quite a bit; I usually took the fall for her when we were caught in any wrongdoing, suppose because she was smaller than me," Lucy said with a slight smile on her face. Things seemed so much simpler when they were younger.

"Like you did in the incident of the apple," Mr. Gold commented dryly, still staring at the playground as they had their quiet conversation, however, he felt an incredibly warm feeling spreading inside him at the fact that she was sharing her stories with him. "Has it ever caused problems between you?" he asked curiously, turning to look at her. She shook her head, the ponytail she had her long dark hair in shaking as she did.

"No. My sister Marina and Trista are the only one's that fight a lot, that's usually because Trista takes Marina's things without ever asking for them first. I'm not sure why, I suspect she does it just to antagonize Marina, who can be a bit... pompous. Although, the nastiest fight between my sisters I've ever seen was actually between my sisters Adelaide and Elaine. Elaine took Adelaide's boyfriend. They fought for months, but Adelaide got over it; she's never been serious about any of the boys she's dated so it's not like she could harp on about it for too long."

"You have a lot of sisters, my dear. Forgive me for saying this, but I can hardly tell the difference between some of them," he commented, causing her which made her eyes incredibly bright. He felt a bit dazed as he rather loved it when she laughed. The way her whole face lit up, and he could see all her pearly white teeth and broad smile; the sound was also intoxicating in and of itself.

"Yes, I'm aware. We all have similar body-types and I'm afraid our faces are very similar. Daphne I'm afraid is the easiest to distinguish, but that is simply because of her hair. Otherwise, her face is almost exactly like Minerva's.

"Minerva is the eldest, followed by Marina who in school they called the Amazon, because she's so tall and used to have aggression issues. Elaine comes after Marina, she's the one with curly black hair, the only one of my sisters who's hair is my shade. Trista started dying her hair blonde when she started High School because she didn't want to be referred to as just another of the Davenport brunettes. Adelaide comes after Trista, she's the one with brown curls down to her hips. And then of course is me, followed by Daphne."

"Well you'd be impossible to confuse," Mr. Gold commented, recalling the first day he'd seen Lucy in his shop. She'd been with her sister Daphne, and he supposed the other girl was Adelaide, as the girl had very long, curly hair which she held in a high ponytail which, even then, the tips of her hair seemed to reach the small of her back. He hadn't been aware how much he'd longed for her until that day.

Lucy tilted her gaze as she looked over at Mr. Gold and contemplated his statement, her spirits soaring at it. Sometimes, she felt that compared to Daphne, that she was boring in looks. Compared to Minerva, she knew that she lacked in maturity and reserve. Compared to Elaine, she lacked in graces and glamour. Trista and Adelaide, were both so much more fun and light-hearted. Sometimes it was difficult to know who she was and where exactly she fit in. Thus far, she'd been content in her role of rebel wise-cracker. Since Mr. Gold, she'd needed more than that.

Scooting down the log, she nudged Mr. Gold with her shoulder, causing him to look at her questioningly with a quirk of his lips. "You know... since I've met you, you've changed me," Lucy commented, sounding a bit more serious but still with a fond smile for him on her face. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that, that _this_ little princess could be so happy to see him.

"How so?" he asked curiously, staring into her eyes and willing himself not to haul her into his lap and kiss her senseless.

"Storybrooke has always seemed to be this cycle of ever unchanging banality, and I don't think anyone here has ever been happy. I've always felt this sense of unrest," she said, turning away from him and her eyes clouding over a she tried to sort her thoughts and feelings into words. "I tried to be apathetic, and I suppose that's why my unrest has only ever manifested itself in sardonic remark my family have learned to ignore. But since you've come into my life, it's not enough. It's like waking from a stupor, and I've had this flood of emotions... I want people to be happy. It's not good enough anymore that they should simply be content with how things are."

Mr. Gold looked into Lucy's eyes as they turned back to look at him. They were sparkling, and he could see the passion beyond that. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he looked at her, this moment seeming so fragile... _she_ looked so fragile. "I think you're simply seeing the changes in Storybrooke, I don't think your sentiments have anything to do with me," he stated quietly, wondering if this was simply what all her feelings boiled down to. He felt his heart breaking a little if it was so, because then it was just another illusion.

"No... before you I never disobeyed my father or gone against his wishes, because I've always understood why he's so overprotective and lords over my sisters and I. Before you came into my life, I've never sung aloud before. I don't think I've ever truly been as happy, as I am around you, and now that I know what that feels like, I can't stand the idea that my sisters don't feel that," Lucy responded, furrowing her brows and looking down before flicking her eyes back up at him. "I'm probably not making any sense to you," she said with a sudden melancholic smile.

"I think I understand, sweetheart," he said, unable to keep himself from reaching a hand and stroking the side of her face. Her sweetness pained him. In her heart, she was so good sometimes he feared that loving him would devour all the good in her. However, when she leaned her face into his touch, he couldn't say that it was at all possibly to stop the course they were on. He simply hoped the the strength he knew was inside her was stronger than his worst nature.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Skin Deep... awesome episode. There were moments that made me go :O because... they just sort of seemed to fit my story. I'd explain how, but I don't want to spoil the episode for anyone who hasn't seen it. Neither do I want to give away what I have coming up for my story.

But of course episode 1x12 in general throws my story in AU. And the next episode features mermaids... so Once Upon of Time's mermaid lore, makes the mermaid lore I've written up AU as well.

Let me know what you all think and as always hope the chapter was enjoyable and please review!

OH, and for those whose pen-names were butchered, my apologies, Fanfcition dot net, is kinda weird at times with those kinds of things.


	15. Chapter 15: Down The Rabbit Hole

Lucy had still been floating on air after her run in with Mr. Gold at the playground, when the doorbell rang. As she had been coming down for a snack, she was the nearest to the front door. Skipping down the few feet from the bottom of the stairs, to the front door, Lucy flung it open. Immediately, her mood soured and the smile on her face became stiff as she attempted to remain polite.

"Mayor Mills, to what do we owe the... _pleasure_?" Lucy greeted, being deliberately obtuse. She knew what the Mayor was there for. After all, it would be dinner time soon, and she was sure tonight was the night of the infamous _business_ dinner. Although, Lucy found it passing strange that the Mayor was picking Minerva up, instead of simply meeting her at their chosen restaurant. She supposed that was the reason that this was most certainly a date. It was like that time Dr. Whale came to pick up Elaine.

Regina stared at the slender girl before her wearing joggers and a white spaghetti strap shirt with mild disdain. Her smile tightened as she tried not to show it. She wondered what it was with the youth of today to dress in a manner that was so inelegant. Though the girl before her was pretty with her impossibly dark hair and large, green eyes, Regina felt the girl had nothing on her sister. Minerva was a poised young woman, who dressed sharply and looked impeccable.

"I'm here to pick up, Minerva. And who are you, my dear?" she asked, trying to be a little friendly. Lucy's grip tightened on the door handle as she stared at the Mayor.

"I'm the girl you had arrested a few months back, Lucy Davenport," she replied coldly. Regina didn't much react to the statement, but for a brief quirk of her lips as though she found this incredibly funny.

"Really? Are you now? Well I'm sure you learned your lesson didn't you, my dear?" Regina asked, flashing a beatific, shit-eating grin. Lucy glared at the Mayor. She would have slammed the door shut in her face then, if it were not for the fact that her sister Elaine just happened to be walking out of the dinning room in that instance with Daphne.

"Madam Mayor," her sisters greeted simultaneously as they walked over curiously and stopped next to Lucy.

"You've come for Minerva, right?" Daphne asked suddenly, flashing a warm smile. Regina turned to the red-head girl, sure she was the one that she had actually caught climbing into her beloved apple tree. She disliked this girl, she decided, even as she attempted to smile warmly at her.

"Lucy, I think you've forgotten your manners," Elaine stated in a gentle reprimanding tone. "Please Mayor Mills, come in." Elaine invited, causing Lucy to relinquish her hold on the door and step aside, even though everything in her being told her to slam the door shut in the older woman's face and not let the harpy come in. However, she imagined if she did so, her sisters would run with the tale to father and father would chew her out for it. He may not like the Mayor, but he'd certainly say he'd raised her better.

Closing the door behind the Mayor, Lucy forced herself to calm down even as Elaine asked Daphne to run up and inform Minerva that the Mayor had arrived before leading her into the sitting room. Grudgingly, Lucy followed after Minerva's date and her sister Elaine.

The sitting room wasn't a terribly large room and it was decorated with some rather old pieces. However, the entire room was bathed in light cream colors, and there was a decorative fireplace of white marble over which was hung a very large family portrait. As Elaine played the gracious hostess and sat the Mayor on the couch and offered her something to drink, which the Mayor refused, Lucy merely leaned against the fireplace with her arms crossed over her chest.

She'd never been this close to the Mayor, and she took the time to really study her. She was dressed in a mildly conservative black dress that still managed to show off her slim but eye-pleasing figure. She wore heels with hose. Regina didn't cake off her coat and Lucy thought it was because she felt Minerva wouldn't take long in arriving.

The smile on her face, Lucy noted, was fake. It never seemed to reach her big, dark eyes. Grudgingly, she admitted the Mayor had very pretty eyes, that on anyone else would have been soulful, but she highly doubted the Mayor had a soul. Mayor Mills had her legs crossed, causing the hem of her skirt to ride up so that instead of coming down to her knees it was up to her thighs.

Her eyes caught the Mayor's as she was looking about herself. She smirked at Lucy, but looked away before Elaine noticed it. Lucy felt her blood boil a bit more, she rather felt that the Mayor was laughing at her. "I heard you took 50,000 dollars from Stroybrooke to build a playground. I saw the structure today, I must say it didn't really look like it was worth very much," Lucy commented suddenly, interrupting the brainless chit-chat the her sister was having with Regina Mills.

Regina turned away from the older dark-haired girl, to look at the other dark-haired girl in the room. "The money was for the land, land as I'm sure you know is very costly," Regina answered, not having expected an inquest of this sort from the teenaged girl and speaking in a tone one would use with a child. Lucy found this highly condescending but ignored it, knowing the Mayor was trying to rile her.

"I'm aware. What I was wondering was if the deeds to the land are signed to you, or to Storybrooke. I mean if you used taxpayers money, than that land should belong to the township," Lucy explained, knowing full well that Regina Mills had in all likelihood left the land under her own name.

Regina merely turned to look at the girl, raising a brow and glaring at her. She definitely did not like _this_ girl, she was smarter and sharper than the average teen. However, before she had to formulate a diplomatic response, Minerva walked in, trailed by Daphne and Marina. Mayor Mills smiled a bit more broadly.

Minerva had set her hair loose and it fell in gentle chestnut curls about her shoulders. It was kept out of her face, by tucking a few strands at the back of her head. She was wearing a navy blue, tight fitted dress with a v-neck and longs sleeves, the hemline coming to her knees. A gold band decorated one of her left wrist.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Minerva stated politely, with a smile on her kind face as she walked over to the Mayor, her coat draped over her arm. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes, my dear," Regina responded, getting to her feet before casting a glance at the rest of the Davenport girls, ensuring to send a rather pointed icy smile at the girl with the greenest eyes. "It was nice to see you all."

"Try not to have too much fun on your date, I mean _business dinner_," Lucy called in a falsely sweet tone causing Regina to momentarily tense. Minerva shot a scowl at her sister, before shaking her head and telling the Mayor to ignore Lucy as the pair left the room. Lucy rolled her eyes and turned to head up to take a very long shower, having suddenly lost all her appetite.

XX

Lucy furrowed her brow as she walked into the waiting area just outside Archie Hopper's office. She slowly pulled her earphones from her ears and stuffed them into the pocket of her purple peacoat as she eyed the ten-year-old sitting waiting. "Is the doctor not in today?" she asked, turning to look at the closed door. Usually she arrived fifteen minutes early for her sessions, and Henry Mill's sessions were usually before hers. It was why she thought it strange when she walked in and found him in the waiting area, writing on a pad, his backpack in an empty seat next to him.

Henry looked up to see Lucy Davenport as she took a seat in a chair and laid her bag down on the floor next to her. He tilted his head slightly ad the black fedora on her head. He'd never really talked to Lucy, though he saw her often enough since she started seeing Archie. "My mom had to reschedule today's session to be after yours," he replied.

Lucy furrowed her brow further at this as she unwrapped the black and purple scarf from around her neck, so that her throat could breathe and she didn't feel so hot. "Aren't you extremely early then?" she asked as she sat down, wondering what kind of mother simply dropped off their ten-year old son over an hour early for their session and left him there alone? Then again, she considered this was Regina Mills they were talking about. "What are you going to do, waiting here for an hour?"

Henry merely shrugged his shoulders as he stared at the teenage-girl with interest. He'd always wondered who she was in the fairytale world, but he had never gotten to talk to her to try and figure it out. All he knew was that she had a lot of sisters. However, since the talent-show, when he saw the girl with bright red-hair singing, he had started to formulate a theory. He wished he had his book back, so he could check his theory.

"I'm Henry," he said brightly all of a sudden. Lucy flashed a small smile and gestured to herself.

"Lucy," she replied simply. "So what you in here for, kid?"

"Emma calls me that," he said suddenly to which Lucy wasn't sure how to react. It always seemed to take her a moment to remember that Emma was the kid's birthmother. She supposed it was because she had yet to actually meet the new Sheriff. "My mom thinks that I'm crazy," he said with a shrug, in answer to her question.

Lucy nodded, frowning slightly, wondering if the Mayor had actually told her kid that she thought he was crazy. She wouldn't put it past the woman to do it, she thought bitterly to herself as she sat back and crossed her legs, laying her hands in her lap.

Minerva was still giving her and Trista the silent treatment. The only one who knew how Minerva's 'non-date' with the Mayor went was Marina and she was hoarding the information to herself. It was really starting to bug Lucy to the point that she was not above tackling Marina to the ground and extracting the information forcefully.

"Well your mother also thinks I'm a delinquent and I'm not, so I'm sure her her opinion is a bit skewered," Lucy commented dryly and more than a little sardonically, causing the boy to smile a bit more broadly.

"Is that why you come see Archie?" he asked. Lucy nodded, very much impressed with his perceptiveness.

"You're very smart, Henry," Lucy complimented with a smile. Because of her relatively young age, and the fact that she didn't seem to like his mother, he felt that she was worthy of trusting. He thought that by the fact she seemed nice and bold, that she had a heroine-like quality to her.

"Miss Blanchard says the same thing," he said, looking slightly embarrassed as he looked away in a humble gesture. Although, Lucy could tell he was also pleased. He adjusted himself in his seat and looked up at her, his little mousy face screwed up in thought. "Who are you?" he suddenly muttered, seemingly more to himself than to Lucy.

"What?" Lucy asked with a furrowed brow, wondering if perhaps Regina Mills wasn't actually totally off about her son being bonkers. "I told you, I'm-"

"No, no," Henry quickly rushed in interrupting her, as she hadn't taken his meaning. "I know your name, and who you think you are, but I was wondering... who are you?"

Lucy smirked slightly. "I'm starting to feel like Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Caterpillar," Lucy teased, causing Henry to furrow his brow and tilt his head like a puppy as he looked at her in confusion. Lucy giggled, thinking he looked very adorable like that. "Come on, haven't you ever read or seen Alice in Wonderland? There's this Caterpillar who speaks in riddles, and asks Alice more than once, who _are_ you?"

"I don't think you're Alice, Alice was blonde and didn't have sisters, at least not so many. And I'm not the Caterpillar, he had a short temper and was mean. Besides, I don't think Alice in Wonderland counts as a fairytale and I don't think it was in my book," Henry monologued, furrowing his brow in thought as he tried to remember.

Lucy stared at the young boy, not entirely sure what to make of this little speech and the fact he seemed to be taking her literally when she was just joking. His speech rather did make her feel like she had just slipped down the rabbit hole, either that or taken hallucinogenic drugs. However, she supposed even though his speech made him seem a bit like a crazy person, his rationale wasn't actually faulty. She tilted her head as she looked at him sadly, understanding why the kid was seeing Archie. She grimaced and wondered how bad Regina Mills had to be in order to mess up her son in such a way that he seemed not to understand that fiction meant something wasn't real.

"What book? Like Grimm's fairytales?" she asked, thinking that she should simply make like Alice and try to go with it. Her question caused Henry to look uncertain.

"Kind of, but the stories in my book are different," Henry replied. Lucy nodded at this.

"I can see that. I mean Grimm's fairytales weren't strictly made up by the Grimm brothers. They were more like scholars or historians and they simply wrote stories that were passed down through oral traditions. That of course means there are a lot of different versions of these fairytales from different places," Lucy explained, stopping herself just short of sharing with him that in one version of Sleeping Beauty, the prince did a lot more to the comatose princess before she woke up, than simply kissing her. She figured that wasn't exactly appropriate to tell him, considering his young age.

"But they're more than just stories," Henry said. Lucy contemplated this for a moment, looking at the boy a bit sadly for a moment. However, she was trying to understand him in some way.

"They can be, I guess. The stories all come from somewhere, and they must have some grain of truth to them... a person can think of them as embellished histories."

"Embellished histories?" Henry asked confused. "What do you meant?"

"Well break the word history down. It literally is His Story. The subject history is the factual story of humans from the start of... well writing. Before people started to write, the history of any people was passed down orally which of course can lead to inaccuracies as they are passed down for generations, and each story-teller may have added their own twist to something that actually occurred," Lucy replied. "And as history tends to repeat itself, it's easy to draw a parallel to any story if you look hard enough."

However, before they could go on with their conversation, the door to Archie's office opened and he looked over and smiled, greeting them both before calling Lucy into his office. Picking up her bag from the floor, Lucy smiled over at Henry as she stood up. "It was nice talking to you, Henry, I suppose I'll see you," she said before walking into Archie's office, the door shutting behind her.

The conversation fresh on her mind as she sat down, Lucy furrowed her brow in thought. "What's wrong Lucy?" Archie asked, wondering at the worry that seemed to be etched on Lucy's face.

"I've just had the strangest conversation with Henry. He was asking me, who am I? I think he seems to think that I don't know who I really am," Lucy commented, not really sure she understood what was going on. Briefly, she wondered if she really wanted to understand. "You know, whenever I've seen him I've always thought of him as a really sweet, sad, lonely kid. He's really smart... but-"

"He's not crazy," Archie said, interrupting her with an indulgent smile, causing her to look up. He had a sense that was what she was about to say about his favorite little ten-year-old.

"Then what's his deal?" Lucy asked with a furrowed brow.

Archie smiled uncertainly, but knowing that Lucy was concerned he was sure telling her wouldn't hurt very much. Besides, it seemed to him that Henry would've opened up to her about his thoughts a bit more if he'd left them together a bit longer. "He thinks everyone in Storybrooke are fairytale characters, sent here from a fairytale world by an evil curse by his mother, the Evil Queen, and are trapped here, not really knowing who they are. He thinks Emma is the savior and will break the Evil Queen's curse. But that's simply the way he copes with reality. It gives him hope, that this isn't all there is to life."

Lucy was quiet for a moment, her face serious as she took this all in and nodded her head slowly. "I suppose I can understand. I mean, isn't that why humans believe in heaven? Because of this hope that our dreaded existence isn't possibly all there is, that there is something better for us," Lucy said, to which Archie grinned broadly and nodded his head, interested in the teenager's perspective. "He's got a great imagination I guess. At his age, my sisters and I had already stopped playing pretend."

"What did you pretend when you were younger?" Archie asked, highly curious, drawing a smile from Lucy.

"You know we have this huge pool, which takes up most of the basement area of our home. When we were little, Daphne, Adelaide, Trista and I used to play in the shallow end. Adelaide always wanted to play that she was a mermaid princess, and that I was a sea witch trying to destroy her happiness. Trista was my minion and we all made Daphne play the part of the prince, because she was the youngest. She was also the one that could swim least and she wasn't quite tall enough to stand in the water even in the shallow end, so she played a human prince. The donut floaty was her ship," Lucy said with a laugh at her and her sisters antics.

"Its really the only thing I remember from when we were that young, I suppose because it was a game we played so often. We stopped when Trista and Adelaide hit puberty, I guess because we felt like we were too old to still be playing pretend. After that, I took to learning to swim a lot more seriously," Lucy went on, the light nostalgic tone slipping away as her eyes focused on the present and she looked up. "It's kind of sad to grow up, isn't it? I hope Henry holds on to his childhood a bit longer."

XX

Going home after her session with Dr. Hopper, Lucy went up to her room. She had formulated a plan to get her sister Minerva talking to her again. Dropping off her school bag, hat, scarf and coat in her room, Lucy took out her violin. She walked out of her room and wandered to the other wing of the second floor, to get to Minerva's room.

Standing outside her sister's closed door, Lucy took her stance and started playing her violin... terribly. Screeching and discordant notes causing even her to grimace started pouring out from the musical instrument. It wasn't long before the bedroom door was thrown open and Minerva found herself staring at her younger sister like she had lost her mind. "What are you doing?" Minerva asked, trying to keep her voice even, glaring at Lucy as she did so.

"Playing the violin," Lucy replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a cheeky smile as she relaxed her stance for a moment while she spoke to her sister.

"I can see that. I mean why are you playing it outside my room and like _that_?" Minerva asked impatiently as she stared at her sister suspiciously, knowing she was up to something.

"I figured it would get you to talk to me, and it worked," Lucy replied with a smile she knew Minerva would in this moment find highly obnoxious. "And I'm going to keep playing it like this, until you really talk to me. If you try to get away, I will simply follow you around, playing horribly until you _do_ talk to me."

Minerva blinked at her sister, thinking she was insane as she considered what she said. When Lucy threatened to take up her playing stance once more, Minerva raised her hands and relented. "Fine, come in," she snapped grudgingly allowing her sister into her room. Lucy smiled triumphantly as she walked into her sisters room, the door snapping shut behind her with a sharp click.

Minerva's room, unlike her own, was a bit larger. In the center, was a large four-poster with dark mahogany posts. Lucy wasn't sure why, but her sister had chosen earthy tones for her room. The walls were an olive green, and she had hardwood floors that matched her bedposts. Turning around, she found Minerva standing with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well, what exactly do you want to talk about?" she snapped unhappily as Lucy walked over and perched on the foot of her sister's bed, laying her instrument down beside her.

"Look, I know right now you just think of me as your bratty little sister. But I'm your _sister_. I care about you," Lucy started, becoming serious despite the antics she had used to get her sister to talk to her once more. "I'm sorry about giving you a hard time the other day, but you can't deny you _did_ go on a date with Mayor Mills. I just don't want to see you emotionally invest yourself in this woman."

Minerva softened as she stared at her dark-haired sister and walked over to sit down in the armchair in the corner of her room with a heavy sigh. "Luce, all right. I admit it was kind of a date, but I don't understand why you and father seem to dislike Regina so much. I swear, you and father are exactly alike," Minerva said with an exasperated sigh.

"We are not!" Lucy exclaimed looking a bit horrified, and feeling slightly offended by her sister's statement. Minerva actually smiled.

"Yes you are," she said, trying to keep herself from laughing. "You both have the same temper, hate the same things, are equally over-protective, outspoken and opinionated, and nothing in this world can make you back down when you're set on something; I swear out of all of us, I see him the most in _you_. That's probably why you both butt heads so much."

Lucy felt uncomfortable at this. "We're not talking about father here, we're talking about you and the Mayor."

"Lucy, she understands what it's like for me, to not really allow anyone to know this side of me, to have to keep this secret and not really be myself. I can't be with the person I want to be with, father won't even allow me to be _friends_ with her, but I can see Regina and no one will be the wiser," Minerva said, trying to get Lucy to understand. Out of all her sisters, Lucy was one of the ones she felt closest to because she had her own mind, and nothing would change that. She was independent and smart, but incredibly loyal and always tried to be understanding and Minerva thought it was commendable the way she stuck to her beliefs and attempted to always protect the people she cared for. "And Regina isn't so bad once you get to know her. I actually, sort of had fun with her. She's very smart, sophisticated..."

Lucy looked at her sister, frowning. Her heart clenched itself so tight she thought it was about to cave in on itself as she looked at her older sister. She understood that Minerva was incredibly lonely, and she hoped that was all it was and that she hadn't grown actual feelings towards the Mayor. "She doesn't deserve you, Min," Lucy stated sadly as she looked at her sister. "She'll just hurt you, that woman doesn't have a heart. Her own son thinks of her as an Evil Queen."

Minerva frowned at this and shook her head. "She loves her son, and he's just a little boy. I think she's simply a sad and lonely woman-"

Lucy frowned. She rather thought that the Mayor was more like a miserable woman who wanted everyone around her to be as miserable, that was what made her happy. However, she didn't voice this, not wanting to fight with Minerva once more. With a sigh of resignation, Lucy stood up and took up her instrument. "All right Minerva, but fair warning. If Mayor Mill's breaks your heart, I will go after her. And I'm not simply kicking her in the groin like I did to Dr. Whale when he tried to date Trista because Elaine wouldn't put out for him."

Minerva laughed slightly at the memory of that particular incident, however, felt slightly concerned as well. Lucy could go a bit overboard when it came to her sisters. "I'll keep that in mind," Minerva said as she rose form her seat. However, a thought suddenly occurred to her and she furrowed her brow. "Why have you never gone after Ruby?"

"Because you broke your own heart there, and hers in the process, Min. I couldn't go after you or father for that one," Lucy pointed out gently, stepping out of her sisters room and closing the door behind herself. She felt her heart clench painfully once more at the slightly devastated look that had crossed Minerva's face.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** So this story is in the faves of 42 people and alerts of 63 people. However, I find that hard to believe considering that I get nowhere near as many reviews.

And is it just me imagining things, or does Mr. Gold seem to wear purple quite a bit? Lol. See he's all Andrina/Lucy's. He wears her color. :P

Anyway as always, review and let me know what you think.


	16. Chapter 16: Unhappy Valentine

**A/n:** I've decided to include Belle into my plot line. This chap will take place around the time of episode 1x12 and differ mainly only in the fact that Rumpel did not fall in love with her, though he did care deeply for her and feels responsible for what happened to her.

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_Rumpelstiltskin continued to pace on the sand, kicking up little dust storms as he did, not aware of this in his deep agitation. There was a girl... not long ago, that he wanted to forget. A very special girl, one who tried to see the good in him. A girl who's bravery allowed her to be something of a companion and consolation to him, a friend, who's kindness called out to whatever good there was in him. He knew it was a mistake to pity her, and allow her to befriend him. _

_Her name had been Belle. Her naivete had been her demise... somehow she managed to convince herself that he was her love. He couldn't allow her to fool herself, to believe that there was more good to him than there actually was, and he had chased her away. Perhaps he had been too cruel with his words, but he was honest when he told her that he didn't want her and that his power meant more to him than she did. _

_He'd never imagined what would happen to her... and that was all his fault! _

"_You must be mistaken," Rumpelstiltskin said at last. "No one can love me," he said, although he was starting to think rather that no one should love him. He was underserving of it... he was starting to see that now. He only had the power to destroy happiness._

"_You say that as if love is a choice. No one can chose who they love," Andrina spat angrily. "Do you think I want to love any creature that walks around on legs? My life would have been easier if I'd been destined for one of my own kind!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin turned and looked at the beautiful creature still seated in the shallows of the beach. Her eyes looked at him and in the moonlight he could see their angry glimmer. Her pretty face was twisted into a scowl and Rumpel found himself wondering, why her? Why hadn't he loved Belle who was so much sweeter, so much more uncomplicated?_

_But when Belle had kissed him... he didn't feel as he felt when Andrina did. Andrina seemed to wake something in him and it was more than desire, and warmth. It was something otherworldly, something so much more consuming than the magic that coursed through his veins and thrummed through his being. "You could be wrong," he insisted desperately. _

"_I told you, there is no doubt for us," Andrina said, shaking her head and causing her wet locks of ink-black hair to fall in her face. She looked away, and the anger in her seemed to melt away as her brows relaxed. A dazed and softened expression appeared on her delicate features. "Didn't you feel it? The vibration, like a song with a deep pulse, coursing through your being and electrifying you? It was something as tangible as the waves, but so strong and startling it hurts your heart lights every nerve ending."_

_He could lose himself in that voice, Rumpel thought as he watched her speak, watched as she raised a delicate hand and placed it where her heart would be. And he longed to be that hand. To feel her soft skin again. "No!" he growled to himself, turning away from her and resuming his pacing. Was this what it had all been about? Was that the reason he had sensed Andrina was important to him?_

"_I don't know what you're so upset over," Andrina said, sounding very much offended. Belatedly, Rumpel began to take note of the winds picking up and the waves lapping against the beach with more force. "Your kind don't have the capacity to love as my kind love and you certainly don't mate for life. Even if you do love me, you can find a replacement. I never will."_

"_Love is a disease," Rumpelstiltskin hissed quietly. _

"_Ever considered it is humans that are the disease?" Andrina asked wryly, feeling suddenly tired. Rumpel couldn't help the sneer that took over his face, her statement making him forget for a moment his anxiety. _

"_Yes, actually," he responded. Andrina turned away from the dark, sad creature. She lay on her stomach, feeling the need to breathe. Feeling the cool water over her heated skin soothed her. Curling an arm under her head, she turned her head to one side, and watched moon drenched waves roll in gently, lapping up at the sand. "What's wrong, love?" he asked gently, noting the change in her as the waters once more calmed. _

"_We are, it seems, at an impasse. Neither of us desires to pursue this love of ours, but you can walk away. For me... all that awaits is the hardening of my heart," she whispered as her eyes filled with tears, which she refused to shed. "It would be better for me to suffocate here on the sands; then when I perish, perhaps I will feel my mother."_

_Rumpel felt his heart seize at this. "I could make you forget," he offered quietly, even though the thought of her accepting this pained him._

"_The mind might forget, but the heart does not, and in my case that's what matters. And I'd sooner perish than allow my heart to turn me into a feral creature of destruction without reason," she replied, not looking at him as she spoke. Rumpel walked over feeling desperation and fell to his knees before her. _

"_I'd sooner put you in a water tank to keep you safe, than watch you perish," Rumpel growled, not able to abide the thought of a world without Andrina. _

_Andrina raised herself into a slightly awkward position on her arms to look at him. She furrowed her brow as she stared up into his eyes. "What do you care what happens to me?" she asked, not able to understand him. She looked at his strangely glowing eyes, staring right back at her with intensity that sent a shock down her spine. _

_The wheels of his powerful mind were beginning to turn. "I could save you from this fate," he whispered. "You don't have to be doomed to love me," he went on as he thought. All she had to do was make it to the next world... when the Evil Queen enacted his curse, Andrina would be human. She'd be freed and she would have no memory of him or of living under the sea, so she'd be unable to miss it. _

"_I'll always love you, Rumpelstiltskin," Andrina said shaking her head at him as though he were a child that did not understand. Turning away, she slipped back into the waters and swam away. Standing, Rumpelstiltskin watched her disappear into the blue, only barely able to see the tip of her tail for a moment rise over the water with a flick before completely disappearing. _

_He hoped that for sake, that she was wrong and that in the other world, she'd not only forget him, but be able to love another. He just hoped he wouldn't have to bear witness to it. He didn't think he could abide it._

XX

"Oooh, where did you get those?" Daphne asked as she set her tray down opposite of her sister, motioning to the box of candy-hearts in Lucy's hands. She smoothed out the knee-length, grey, pleated skirt she wore as she sat down.

"Some boy in my last period gave them to me, but I don't think these candy-hearts taste any good so I'm doing something more fun with them," Lucy said, plucking a heart and pelting it at a random person in the cafeteria, completely ignoring the food on her own tray in favor of the candy-hearts she'd spilled onto it. Daphne frowned and gazed at her sister with disapproval.

"Lucy!" Daphne exclaimed when she realized what her sister was doing.

Lucy pretended to look innocent and stared at her sister as the girl that got hit by the random, flying candy-heart turned to look around. "What?" Lucy asked, staring at her sisters blue eyes.

"Don't what me! That was not nice and you're going to get into trouble," Daphne told her uncomfortably aware of all the times that her sisters had said similar things to her.

"It's just a piece of candy, it's not like it's going to kill her," Lucy sniped, rolling her eyes. Grabbing another piece of candy from her tray, she chucked it too. This time hitting a rather large, athletic boy on top of his head. Daphne watched her sister with a frown. Lucy had always seemed extremely prejudiced against Valentine's Day. However, as she studied her sister's cold expression, she wondered if there was something she was missing today.

"Was the boy rude... the one that gave you the candy?" Daphne asked, causing Lucy to furrow her brow and now really focus on her redheaded sister.

"What? No, what makes you think that?" Lucy asked, confused.

"You seem upset. What is it then?" Daphne asked, looking at her sister with large and concerned eyes. Lucy sighed, crossing her arms on the table, before running a hand through her long locks of hair. While she did for the most part think of Valentine's Day as a hallmark holiday that meant nothing, and seeing pink and red balloons in the shape of hearts for some reason made her want to pop every single one of them with a sharp pen... today sucked for very specific reason. Not all of which she could explain to Daphne, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Know how Minerva came home really late last night?" Lucy asked at length, figuring she could at least tell Daphne part of why she was upset. Daphne furrowed her brow and nodded her head in response. "Well I ran into Ruby this morning, she was really pissed. Turns out Min and her... _date,_ ended up at the Inn."

"Oh," Daphne said, her eyes widening and a flush crawling up her cheeks as she read between the lines at what Lucy was saying.

"Ruby told me Min has a heart made of ice, and that she and the frigid witch deserve each other," Lucy said quietly with a grimace. Hearing those words was hard enough. A part of her had strongly desired to give Ruby a black eye for that one, and the only thing that stopped her was the fact that she knew that Ruby was just hurt about the whole thing, and didn't mean what she said.

Lucy looked down at the tray, flipping little hearts over so that the words were all facing up as she thought about that morning. She'd left the house early, and happened to come across Ruby cursing as she made her way over to her red car. However, on spotting Lucy, Ruby stopped to rant at her. Lucy was shocked, and felt like she'd been hit by a truck, the hostility that Ruby had radiated towards her completely unexpected.

However, after her rant Ruby seemed to recall herself, and apologized. Lucy hadn't been happy, and she told Ruby as much, but accepted her apology nonetheless. She understood, as she had been pretty pissed with Minerva herself. However, now all she was was concerned. She'd hoped that Minerva and the Mayor would just be some passing fling, but... well she'd never pictured Minerva to be someone who'd sleep with someone after only three dates. And she couldn't really believe Minerva would be so cruel as too flaunt the fact that she was moving on like that, right under Ruby's nose.

"Is that why you missed first period class today?" Daphne asked.

Lucy looked up form her tray with a frown. "How do you know I missed first period?" she asked as she picked up a green heart that said Hug Me and chucking it absent-mindedly.

"Mr. Newcastle told me," Daphne said, in a tone that said _duh_. Lucy frowned, having forgotten she had Music Appreciation first period with Mr. Newcastle. However, she was concerned about what that had to mean about how much time Daphne was spending with their teacher. It didn't particularly seem right, even if they had pure feelings for each other. However, Lucy at present didn't think she could deal with worrying about that, on top of everything else.

"Yeah, I stayed with her to talk for a while, and she dropped me off at school after," Lucy replied, shaking her head and looking down at her tray. However, that hadn't been before Ruby had imparted her with some knowledge that she had not previously been aware of about Mr. Gold.

Lucy wasn't really sure how, but she and Ruby got to talking about Storybrooke's latest. It seemed that only yesterday Mr. Gold had repo'd Moe French's delivery van, the owner of one of Storybrooke's flower shops. Apparently later, Mr. French had broken into Mr. Gold's home to rob him. Lucy had the uncanny feeling, a nasty twist in her gut, that told her there was more to this story so she asked and Ruby imparted to Lucy a bit of Storybrooke history that she was not aware of.

It would seem Mr. French had a daughter, a very pretty girl who once-upon-a-time worked in Mr. Gold's shop and home, cleaning. Ruby was unsure of the details, as it seemed this happened many years ago, but most of Storybrooke at the time had been convinced that the girl had fallen in love with Mr. Gold and they had some kind of torrid affair which ended badly. Namely in the girl's suicide.

Lucy asked how it was possible that she had never heard of this. Ruby told her it was probably because it happened so long ago and no one really spoke of it anymore. Ancient history really. Though, to Lucy that didn't make a lot of sense, as Ruby said the girl had been only about three or four years older than her and Minerva. Which meant the affair couldn't have been more than seven years ago, not unless Mr. Gold was taking advantage of an underaged girl.

Lucy frowned as she stared at her plate as an uncomfortable thought crossed her mind, _what if he was?_

Lucy glared at the little heart-shaped confections in hideous pastel colors wondering why it bothered her so much, when these were only rumors. Besides, Mr. Gold was entitled to have a past love-life, and if the girl had committed suicide... well that would have been her own decision. However, she couldn't help all the doubts that swarmed her and it made her feel ill. Picking up another heart, she threw it, sending it sailing through the air. She wondered if it was so easy to throw people's hearts away like this.

XX

Mr. Gold sat and stared at the bars around him, the scene all too familiar. Sometimes it was hard to believe that twenty-eight years had passed. Being in a cell brought back memories and it felt like it was only yesterday that he sat in another cell, one much danker, and darker, bidding his time.

Now, he was fucked. He'd let his feelings get the better of him and he'd lost a play to Regina. Now she knew he could remember, a secret he'd well guarded for twenty-eight years. What was worse, was he was facing assault charges. All because of some sentimentality over a cup. Being human certainly had its draw backs, he thought dryly to himself, gnashing his teeth.

He was drawn from his musings when he heard a sound of a door opening and closing. Had it been thirty minutes already? Regina had only stayed for the duration of their chat and left immediately after, surely the Sheriff couldn't be back already. Looking up, expecting to see Emma Swan, his heart clenched as the person came into view; a slender figure in black skinny jeans, combat boots and purple pleather jacket. Her long, layered hair falling around her like a silk veil of pitch black.

Lucy. However, she did not appear to be particularly happy to see him. The expression on her face was a bit haughty. He was strongly reminded of the mermaid that had enchanted him, so long ago. "What are you doing here, Lucy?" he asked quietly as she walked over, knowing that this did not bode well for him. Especially not after the last couple days he was having.

"I just had to see it for myself," Lucy responded in a voice just as quiet. It was cold, calm and highly calculated. He didn't like it, it sent shivers dancing up and down his spine and made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end. "You see what I can't understand is how you could lose it, like that. Seems like overkill to abduct and viciously beat a defenseless man because he stole some trinkets. I can't help but think that you owe me a story."

"A story?" Mr. Gold asked, tilting his head as Lucy walked closer. She nodded her head and sat on the royal blue couch. She wouldn't look at him, and sat facing forward. He could only just see her profile, but even that was curtained from view by her black, silky hair. The way the light fell on it, made parts shine white.

"About a young, beautiful girl, who worked in your shop," Lucy replied in a voice she willed to stay even and cool, though the tone was a bit snarky. However, she couldn't quite help the way her heart clenched at the thought. She hadn't been able to get what Ruby told her out of her head. When she found out that Mr. Gold had been arrested, the news had felt devastating enough. When she heard that it was for assaulting Mr. French... she knew that all her hopes were soon to be dashed. Her instincts were rarely wrong.

"Ah, I see," Mr. Gold stated dryly, his tone a bit harsh. "I do hope that whoever went to you with this tale, that it will be an isolated incident. I'd hoped _that_ rumor long dead and buried," he spat.

"Like the girl?" Lucy sniped callously, turning with a harsh gaze to Mr. Gold. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him and it took him a moment to recover. A sneer appeared on his face.

"Oh, very well done, dearie. I'm glad to see you can be as cruel and monstrous as I clearly am," he said coldly. For a moment, he saw a flash of hurt in her lovely, large green eyes, but it was soon gone. Masked by the shell Lucy created about herself whenever she was pained, it was like a layer of dry ice that burned any who tried to cause her pain.

"I don't really think it was a rumor," Lucy said, turning away from him. However, this time, she looked down into her lap. Her tone softened as she spoke. "That she worked for you is a fact, I think also that you had an affair. After all, from what I've heard she was exceptionally beautiful, and kind so how could you not want her? I can't reasonably begrudge you having a love life before me. And you can't be to blame for her untimely death. Frankly whatever happened between you is really none of my business. I've come to the conclusion that you blame her father for what happened to her, why else attack him so viciously? But what I want to know is if you still love her, than what the hell are you doing with me?"

Mr. Gold felt his heart thundering as Lucy turned those large eyes of hers on him, and he could see that there were unshed tears sparkling in them. The light from the window, made her eyes look luminescent, like the first time he met her. However, like that day in the park not long ago, she had allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him and he felt tongue tied.

Inexplicably and amazingly, she didn't think him the villain everyone thought him to be in Belle's, or as she was known in this world, Belinda's tale. No, she thought that he loved Belle, and still did. Suddenly, her harshness made sense. It was to cover up the pain that had blossomed inside her, to keep her from breaking down.

He felt guilt rise up in his chest at his hard words to her; he'd just assumed that like everyone she'd thought he'd taken advantage of Belle and thrown her away like garbage, leading her to her suicide. He could care less what the people of Storybrooke thought, but Lucy mattered to him and he didn't want to lose her. Not when she had previously been so willing to accept him, whereas Princess Andrina couldn't exactly do so, not when it meant she'd have to give up her home to be able to be with him.

Standing, he rushed over to the bars and held them as he looked down into her eyes with desperation. He needed to explain things to her, clear them up... they weren't exactly as she thought. "Lucy, I..."

However, before he could say anymore, the sound of the door opening and shutting drew their attention. Mr. Gold straightened and tried to school his features as he turned away to sit down on the cot, frustration swelling in his chest and threatening to make it burst.

Lucy had only just enough time to move along down the couch, farther away from him. As Henry and Emma walked in, both seemed to stop at the scene before them... two people as different as could be seated and staring forward, cell bars the only thing that really seemed between them. It was almost as though they mirrored each other.

"Um..." Emma said in confusion, as the teenaged girl with dark hair got to her feet and turned to greet them with a small, watery smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Lucy! What are you doing here?" Henry asked, confused but still sounding excited as he offered her a friendly smile. Lucy's smile brightened a little as she turned her back to Mr. Gold and turned her gaze to the ten-year-old. It was hard to ignore the pain in her chest and the tightness in her throat. She couldn't quite bring herself to speak, afraid that doing so would make it too obvious that she was holding back the desire to sob.

"You two know each other?" Emma asked, drawing the girl's attention back to her as she turned to look at Henry and then back at the girl. She furrowed her brow, knowing that she had seen the girl before but she couldn't quite remember where.

"Yeah, Lucy sees Archie too," Henry explained. "She's the one I told you about."

Lucy's brows raised into her hairline a bit in surprise, not having been aware that she had such an impact on the little boy that he'd mention her to his mother... the biological one at least. "I hope only nice things," Lucy said with a light teasing tone that was still a bit hard for her to produce, as she turned her gaze away from the young boy to the Sheriff. "Lucy Davenport," she introduced herself while extending her hand for Emma to shake.

The name made something in Emma's head click as she shook the pale, and very cold hand. While Henry _had_ spoken to her about a girl who she suspected he had developed a bit of a crush on, that wasn't why she thought she had known the dark-haired girl. However, the first and only time she'd really seen her, she had hair her hair tied up. With it lose and falling about her shoulders, she looked a bit different. Specially when she was sporting black skinny-jeans with black knee-hight combat boots and a deep purple jacket. Last she'd seen her, she had looked elegant and far more girly. It astounded her that the girl looked comfortable in the very two different styles... like they simply fit her to be both a rebel and a princess.

"Lucy Davenport? You used to volunteer here right?" Emma asked, casting a brief glance at the cell where Mr. Gold was watching their interaction with the kind of interest of someone who had nothing better to do, which he of course didn't. Emma darted her eyes back to the girl, wondering if something was going on there that she should be concerned about. Recalling back to the Graham's funeral... hadn't this been the girl Gold seemed to be staring at intensely?

"Yeah," Lucy said slowly as she furrowed her brow and looked around suddenly. She'd been so focused on Mr. Gold and what she came here to do, that she had completely forgotten that... this is where she had spent countless hours with Graham. She felt a familiar, dull ache as she thought of him and looked around the station. It seemed fitting that she should see it again in the dead of winter, where the grey winter light filtered into the station making it seem so cold.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Emma asked, drawing the girl's attention back to her. Lucy smiled and shook her head.

"I was just feeling a bit nostalgic," Lucy replied, though it was a lie, and Emma could see through it. Emma wondered what that was about, but didn't get the chance to ask as Lucy turned her attention back to Henry. "How are you doing, little man? Did you get some Valentine's yesterday?" she asked, trying to get out from under the Sheriff's scrutiny, as she didn't have a viable reason to be in the station and she couldn't rightly admit to having come to see Mr. Gold. Henry shook his head in response. "That's okay then, you can be my Valentine," she said before turning to look at Emma with an playful smile and a wink. "I'm a sucker for brunette's with eyes like chocolates."

Mr. Gold couldn't help the impatient huff he made at this, unwittingly drawing the eyes of everyone in the room, except for Lucy's, who couldn't bear to look at him. Lucy, who had meant that as a joke, belatedly realized that both Mr. Gold and Graham fit the description. She grimaced slightly at this, wondering if perhaps she did have a predilection for brunettes with brown eyes and who could be very sweet at heart.

"I should go, I'll see you around Henry. It was nice meeting you Sheriff," Lucy stated, shaking her head of those thoughts. She wasn't sure she could abide being in _his_ presence any longer and wasn't really sure why she had come any more. With a smile and a ruffle to Henry's soft locks, she quickly walked past them and out the station, wondering how it was people dealt with broken hearts as her own continued to painfully fall to pieces bit by bit.

"She's... odd," Emma commented, befuddled as she watched the dark-haired girl leave. Henry, seeming to have finally taken note of Mr. Gold, tilted his head and furrowed his brow; it reminded him of something, an image from his book he lost but he couldn't remember the story that went along with it.

Feeling a set of eyes on him, Mr. Gold turned and found Henry Mill's staring at him with a contemplative expression on his small face. Mr. Gold frowned at this, very much feeling like an animal at the zoo and instead turned his attention to the small porcelain tea cup he pulled from his jacket pocket. He wondered if it had really been worth it... but it was all he had of his only friend, and he couldn't allow Regina to have it. It wasn't right.

He just hoped he'd be able to fix things with Lucy. He'd lived without her for twenty-eight years, he couldn't go on anymore without her. He'd never looked for her before, having truly wished and desired her freedom and happiness. But surely if she came to him, if she was the one that found him in this world... it meant they were meant to be together, didn't it? But then, Rumpel reminded himself, this world was not made for happy endings... at least not anyone but the Mayor's.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Review please.


	17. Chapter 17: By Candlelight

She couldn't sleep, she could hardly bring herself to eat. Sometimes she felt as though she was only half-alive, which was better than the alternative... a soul-consuming ache that the only way she could deal with was by turning it into a violent anger that literally made her body quake to keep it locked inside. Sometimes it scared her, that such a rage could live inside her; knowing any moment she could lose control of it and release it and hurt someone...

Concentrating on classes or almost anything else was nearly impossible. Her thoughts consumed her, and they all revolved around Mr. Gold. Her head was usually left spinning, and she wasn't sure what to think.

She found it impossible to believe that Mr. Gold had merely used her, at best as a means to forget a past heartache, and at worst as mere entertainment. She couldn't quite allow herself to believe that was true, when he had seemed so genuine and sincere in his affections and deep sentiments for her. However, she tried to tell herself not to be so naïve, that that was simply who Mr. Gold was; he was a master deceiver and she knew this... accepted him for it and was the bigger fool for it. For thinking that for any reason at all, things would be different for her when it came to him. For thinking he could be at all sincere or honest with her.

However, no matter her thoughts, Lucy wasn't sure what to do with herself. Swimming, running, listening to music and trying to drown out her thoughts... nothing quite seemed to work. His face seemed to appear before her. His smile, that made her feel weak in the knees. Or that wolfish grin that made her want to melt.

Sometimes she hated herself for still desiring his company. For wanting to believe so badly, whatever story he wanted to make up to her to explain things away and carry on whatever plot he had in store for her. But that was just simply how much his absence pained her... it hurt to even just breathe.

Every moment, as the days trickled slowly by, was painful. She felt as though this immense weight had settled over her chest, constricting her lungs and making it impossible for her to breathe.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to hide that kind of despair. How to keep it from showing and giving her away to her sisters. Already, she could see them looking at her strangely. Some of them were even avoiding her, because she was in such a foul mood that she couldn't keep herself from snapping at them and being nasty and mean.

She wished there was someone she could talk to. She wished she could tell Minerva, Daphne, or Ruby, or even Dr. Hopper what was wrong. But she couldn't even bring herself to ask them, _how does a person get over a broken heart_, because it would give too much away. It would invite questions she couldn't answer because she was embarrassed that she had been such an idiot... and there was still a part of her that for some reason, couldn't bear the thought of complicating Mr. Gold's life anymore than it was. She still wanted to protect him.

Lucy groaned, wondering to herself why she was such a fool, as she opened the door to the diner. Walking over to the counter, she sat down at it, ignoring the buzzing of the slightly busy diner. "You wanted to talk to me?" she asked in a low voice, letting her satchel drop form her shoulder to the floor, and taking off her hat and tossing it on the counter before angrily removing the scarf from around her neck, fully aware that Ruby was watching her intently.

"Yeah, it's why I called," Ruby teased with a slight note of sarcasm in her voice.

"Well get on with it, I have school to get to. I'm kind of pressed for time," Lucy deadpanned, not feeling in much of a social mood lately.

"You think I'm not, it's the morning rush," Ruby said, hoping to raise Lucy's spirits. However, the green gaze of her friend only darkened as she cast a pointed look at Ruby, her face clouded with exasperation. Ruby frowned. "Trista's worried about you, she says you've been... well a bitch lately."

Lucy rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help feel a slight twinge of guilt. She knew that she was being horrid lately, and she didn't particularly like taking out her anger on the people she loved, but she was losing it. It was so hard to keep it all bottled inside, all of the time. At times she felt, all she wanted was to be left alone, but then that's when her thoughts and memories set upon her and she really didn't know how to deal with them. She didn't want to. It hurt too much.

"Ruby, if that's all-" Lucy started impatiently, moving to leave, but stopped when Ruby interrupted.

"Okay, okay, if you don't want to talk about whatever it is with me, that's fine. I also wanted to talk to you about Trista. I know her birthday is coming up and you guys do your family dinner thing, but I was thinking-"

"Shit, her birthday is coming up. I completely forgot," Lucy muttered, eyes widening as she briefly slammed her forehead down on the counter and banged her head a couple times. She wasn't sure why she forgot, as Trista's birthday was just the month before hers, almost down to the day and it was always around Miner's Day. Had she been that wrapped up in her own problems that she had forgot one of her sisters' birthdays?

She supposed it made sense, considering that of late, she hadn't even wanted to think about her own birthday. She'd been so looking forward to it this year, mostly only because her coming of age would mean there would be nothing to stand in her way of pursuing things with Mr. Gold. Briefly, she recalled the day they kissed. How perfect it had been, how her heart raced, her stomach filled with butterflies... how his lips felt, how his hair felt in her fingertips...

It seemed all that was left now was this gaping emptiness.

"Geeze, Luce. You're really losing it," Ruby commented.

"There's just been a lot on my mind," Lucy groaned, looking up at Ruby.

"Well then you can probably use a distraction. I was thinking, for Trista's birthday that we could drag her out to this great bar I know. There's this great band that's been playing there lately, I know how you guys all like music. You should bring some of your other sister's too, the more the merrier, you know," Ruby said with an enthusiastic smile.

Lucy thought for a moment, unable to help the small smile that spread on her lips. "You're probably right, I probably need a distraction, and it would be nice for Trista, to do something more for her birthday than just the dinner and the festival," Lucy said, nodding her head as she ducked down to pick up her bag and shoulder it. "You're a good friend, Rube."

"I know," Ruby said with a teasing smile. "So how about it then? I'm working Friday, but I can pick you guys up, say about eleven?"

"All right," Lucy nodded, putting on her hat and wrapping her purple and black scarf about her neck in a haphazard fashion. "I'll see you," Lucy called, just as Mrs. Woods called Ruby to get to work. Lucy smiled and shook her head as she exited the busy diner in a rush. She had yet to have cleared the front of the diner, busy arranging her scarf, when she bumped into someone with a loud _oomf_!

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-," Lucy apologized as she took a step back, adjusted her bag strap and stopped as she came face to face with Mary Margaret Blanchard. "Miss Blanchard, right?" she asked a bit uncertainly, as personally she'd never really known the school teacher before... at least she didn't recall ever being her student.

"Yes! The home-wrecker, the trollop, the town har-" Miss Blanchard stopped herself mid-rant as she looked up and found herself staring into shocked, green eyes and a youthful face. Immediately, she seemed to pale. "I'm sorry," she stated quietly, shaking her head as tears started to sprout in her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to snap at you... I just-"

Lucy looked at the school teacher in mild horror as she noted that the woman was about to burst into tears. "Miss Blanchard, you're one of the kindest, sweetest, nicest people in all of Storybrooke," Lucy said with a frown as she patted the woman awkwardly on the arm. She'd heard what the town was saying of Miss Blanchard of course, and even though she hadn't personally ever really known the woman, she knew of her character and how well liked and even loved she had always been in the town. She frowned as she thought about how the whole town had turned on her, it actually made her rather angry. "To hell with the people of Storybrooke."

"Wha-what?" Mary Margaret asked in confusion, looking up and tilting her head as her brows furrowed deeply. She was almost stunned to find the face of the young woman transformed into something she hadn't seen in quite a few days... sympathy and compassion. For a moment, this expression, aimed at her, seemed to shock her more than the words the young woman had previously stated.

"I said, to hell with the people of Storybrooke, they have no right to judge you or anyone else for that matter," Lucy stated in that frank and brisk tone of hers. She noted a few people on the street, passing in or out of the diner, giving her a queer look which she returned with a glare, not really caring what these people thought of her. "Everyone has some secret in their life that they are ashamed of. No one is perfect. And if the worst that can be said about you is that you followed your heart when society dictates it's inappropriate... well there are worse sins. Especially when considering love makes idiots and fools of people."

Mary Margaret blinked at the vehemence and almost anger behind Lucy Davenport's impassioned speech. Forgetting for a moment that the town now considered her a pariah, she briefly wondered why Lucy would feel so strongly about this. However, she didn't ponder it long as a small, watery smile slipped on her face. She felt a small swell of warmth inside her, and almost relief that not everyone in Storybrooke hated her. She felt slightly heartened that someone other than Emma could empathize with her.

Unfortunately, the moment seemed to evaporate a moment later. "Miss Blanchard, Miss Davenport, how nice to see you."

Lucy felt her heart stop, as she watched Miss Blanchard tense in fear. Both of them turned and watched with mild shock and trepidation as Mr. Gold approached them slowly. Although, both felt trepidation for very dissimilar reasons. "Good morning, Mr. Gold," Mary Margaret murmured timidly as the man looked at her for a brief moment and inclined his head before turning his gaze back to Lucy. A smile was frozen on his face, that did not reach his eyes and seemed especially tight-lipped.

"I see you posted bail," Lucy stated almost harshly, even as her throat threatened to close. Her right hand gripped the strap of her bag tightly while the other balled into a fist at her side. Her whole body had frozen, at the mere sound of his voice. Her knees threatened to give out, at the familiar, enchanting brogue that she couldn't get out of her head.

Mary Margaret's eyes widened and she was sure her jaw had dropped to the floor, as she turned to look at the seventeen-year-old girl in shock. However, Lucy's gaze was focused on Mr. Gold, looking at him with an arrogance Mary Margaret was sure only rebellious teens could muster. She wasn't sure if she herself would have ever dared use a tone like that, especially not with Mr. Gold.

"Of course I did, dearie," Mr. Gold remarked dryly, his mouth opening with a deliberate slowness to answer, as though he was straining to keep it from turning into a snarl. He hadn't expected to run into Lucy, though he'd felt such a desperation since he got out to see her, that he was hardly able to keep himself from going to her school and searching her out. However, that would've been disastrous. He had feared that she would not want to see him after their last encounter, but he hadn't expected to be met with so much hostility.

"Oh well, look at the time, I really must be going. You too, Lucy! I'm sure your school is about to start very soon," Mary Margaret, pretending for a second as though she were looking at her watch before staring wide-eyed at Lucy and placing a hand on her arm. She really didn't want to be around Mr. Gold, but she didn't want to leave the poor girl alone with the man!

Mr. Gold shot a glare at Miss Blanchard that she didn't catch, infuriated that the woman was meddling. No, running in to Lucy in front of Granny's Diner was not ideal, but he wasn't sure when his next chance to see her would be. He didn't want it to go to waste, he needed to explain things to her and clear the air between them!

For her part, Lucy was almost amused by Miss Blanchard's valiant attempt and couldn't help but feel slightly grateful. Her head and heart seemed such a mess and while a great part of her longed to see Mr. Gold, to be near him, she couldn't quite deal with him. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to, now that everything seemed to have fallen apart. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at Mary Margaret and tried to focus on her and not the way her heart was now racing, or how her palms were becoming damp.

"You're right, I'm going to be late enough as it is," Lucy stated quietly as she placed a hand on Mary Margaret's shoulder for a brief second and tried to give her an encouraging smile.

"Thank you for..." Mary Margaret trailed off, not really sure what to say.

"Don't worry about it. Just remember to keep your head up," Lucy said with a smile as she turned and made to walk away. "Mr. Gold," she stated coldly, trying not to spare a glance at him, though she could see him out of her peripherals.

She was sure she heard Mary Margaret scurry away as she quickened her pace to get away. However, she could hear the tell-tales taps of his cane as he walked briskly behind her. She wasn't terribly surprised when she felt his hand clamp on her wrist and forced her to stop and turn to face him. Despite the fact, that his hands were gloved in expensive, black, leather gloves and that the wrist he caught had three layers of cloth covering it, she could still feel his heat.

"I don't have time for this!" Lucy hissed, closing her eyes and turning her face from him, not sure she could look at him. Certainly not ready to. She could feel her body begin to tremble at the strong emotions that he stirred inside of her, seeming intensified manifold in his presence. There was a lot of anger at the surface, but she could still feel the deeply seeded pain inside her. There seemed also to be two forces raging within her, one pushing her ardently towards him, while another recoiled almost violently.

She felt his hand release her at the slightest tug from her to be free. "You said I owe you a story, and I believe I deserve the opportunity to tell it," Mr. Gold stated so quietly that she was sure the birds chirping in the trees were much louder, and even threatened to drown him out. Opening her eyes, she slowly turned to look at him and found that he was staring at her intently; his brown eyes soft and staring sadly at her, pleading with her to just listen.

She felt her resolve weakening. "You don't owe me anything, I'm nothing to you," Lucy stated quietly, her voice wavering as she looked about the street. It was strange, that no one seemed to notice them. Were people that afraid of Mr. Gold that they avoided looking at him at all cost? Lucy shoved these thoughts aside, as belatedly she realized there were tears in her eyes. She rather resented the fact that he made her so such an emotional wreck; it was like he made of her just another weak thing, she thought as she blinked the tears furiously away.

"You're everything to me," he said in a whisper.

Lucy felt her heart thump hard in her chest at this statement as she whirled to look at him with wide and shocked eyes. She searched his narrow face then, while time seemed to have stopped. His lips were closed tightly, the look on his face deadly serious. His brows had been pulled together, in something like consternation as his gaze stared unwaveringly at her; as it always had, really.

Lucy shook her head, unable to believe she had said such a thing. She was sure, that she had fallen into some kind of dream. "You can't-" she stated bewilderedly. However, a part of her wondered, why not? Perhaps he'd never out and told her that he loved her, but there had been overtures, hadn't there? The way he'd always looked at her... it was as though there was nothing else in the world that could pry his eyes away from her. And hadn't he promised that he'd never leave her? Never hurt her intentionally? Never give up on them?

Whatever Mr. Gold was, he was a man of his word. He kept his promises... his deals. Perhaps he twisted words or lead people astray with his wording, but there'd never been anything like that with what he'd promised her. The words had always been direct, and left no room for misinterpretation. Carefully chosen and picked...

"I don't... I don't know what any of this means anymore," Lucy said brokenly, her voice full of despair and anguish, as she shook her head and stepped away from him.

"You said you wouldn't give up on us," Mr. Gold whispered desperately, taking a step forward, not wanting her to get away from him. He needed to keep her within reach as he wouldn't be able to stop her if she suddenly decided to turn and run, his injured leg would impede him. She was like a skittish doe, but she was his, and he couldn't lose her.

Lucy looked up into his eyes. She could see anger in his gaze now, anger at her that she would break her word. Lucy felt shame wash over her. Hadn't she told Minerva once, that if she had a love that she would fight for it? Wasn't she trying to take the easy way out now?

She wasn't sure... was she being a coward, by letting some misunderstanding get between them and taking the opportunity to run because she was afraid of the intensity of her feelings? Or was it even a misunderstanding? Did he really love her? Or was he still in love with the dead girl? Lucy didn't know, but she supposed it was only fair to let him tell her what really happened. Whether or not she could believe him after... that really was another matter.

"I know... I just need some space and time... I can't do this right now-" Lucy stated, feeling that constriction in her chest tightening. It was too much. Too much to accept right now and in public. She needed to clear her head, to get her emotions back in check. She needed to have this conversation with a clearer head, and perhaps with her feelings numbed. She couldn't fall to pieces before him and certainly not after she had allowed him to already see her so vulnerable so many times before.

"Very well, Lucy. You know where to find me," Mr. Gold said with a sigh, even though he hated to acquiesce, afraid that she wouldn't come to him and was just lying to get away from him. And he didn't want to waste anymore time... he'd already wasted so much of it. Waiting for her eighteenth birthday was becoming torture, but now... everything felt like it was on the line and that if he went on waiting, he would lose her.

But what choice did he have? He couldn't force her to talk to him. Short of kidnapping her and forcing her to listen, there was nothing he could do. Considering he wanted the girl to continue loving him, that wasn't an option. Pushing a girl like Lucy... it never ended well. Lucy was too headstrong, too proud, too stubborn... forcing her to talk when she was not ready would only be detrimental.

He had to let her go. At least for now, and hope that she'd come back to him.

XX

"You've been really quiet," Minerva stated softly, as she stepped up next to Lucy as their sisters wandered around the booths in excitement, chattering happily and bursting into giggles now and then; Trista being the center of attention as she was the birthday girl. All of them, except Lucy who in the last few days gone from thunderously angry, to almost an emotionless calm that was just as frightening. Minerva wasn't used to Lucy being so quiet.

"A lot on my mind," Lucy replied simply, her brow furrowed as she looked at her feet as they walked, her fedora casting her face into shadow. Minerva nodded, not sure what to say to that as she looked around the festival. "She'd not here, you know," Lucy commented, looking up slowly. Despite all her thoughts being clouded by Mr. Gold and what she was gonna do about him, she'd noticed since they arrived in the town square that Minerva kept looking around.

"Who's not here?" Minerva asked distractedly, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck as she looked about; it was a bit nippy out.

"Ruby," Lucy stated simply, eyeing Minerva curiously. Minerva whirled, with eyes wide. "She's working in the diner tonight, she won't be coming to the festival."

"I'm not looking-" Minerva started, shaking her head, eyes wide. A blush was slowly rising in her cheeks.

"You can't fool me, Min," Lucy said, with a small indulgent smile. Even though it seemed to cost her a lot of effort these days to smile. The smile almost immediately slipped from her face, unable as she was to maintain it.

"Nothing ever gets past your eyes, does it Luce?" Minerva asked with a sigh, looking at her sister in mild vexation; she didn't know why Lucy always saw right through her, and why she had to have the gall to say things people didn't want to hear.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "It's easy to see through the bull shit, when you have your eyes open," Lucy stated dryly, looking around with a frown, wondering why being happily in love was such an impossible feat.

Sometimes she thought it was the world... that it was just a terrible place that anytime anyone was happy, it simply had to destroy it. Sometimes she thought, that was the reason her mother was no longer with them. Her father had loved her too much, that's why the world took her from them. Minerva and Ruby had loved each other too much, and father had separated them. And she... she loved Mr. Gold too much.

"I don't know how you can stand to be away from her, every day..." Lucy commented as her eyes unfocused. She'd always known how Ruby dealt with it, she distracted herself by flirting with almost everyone who crossed her path, but Lucy was starting to see the cracks. It didn't really seem to work. And now being in her shoes, Lucy could see why. It was like trying to cover the sun with your thumb, its just an illusion. It's not real; nothing could really make you forget the one you love. "I can't imagine being with the Mayor really compares."

Minerva blinked the tears that suddenly sprouted in her eyes and looked away. However, an odd thought crossed her mind and she turned to look at Lucy with a brow furrowed deep in thought. "Lucy are you... are you in love?" Minerva asked in a whisper, her voice filled with awe. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of her little sister being in love seemed incredible to her, like something she'd never see.

"What could possibly make you think that?" Lucy asked sounding bewildered. However, as Minerva considered the last several days, she found a smile slowly coming over her face. She felt that if Lucy was in love, that it really explained everything.

"Oh my! You are! Lucy-"

"Stop it, Min!" Lucy hissed quietly, heart racing, not able to look into her sister's eyes as her cheeks colored. She found herself looking around, almost as if checking if they had been overhead. Luckily, everyone in the festival was too busy.

"Who is it?" Minerva asked, not willing to let it go, now that she knew. Lucy's denial only seemed to further convince her of it.

"Minerva, I'm not-"

"Yes you are!"

"It doesn't matter!" Lucy almost shouted, looking up at her sister and glaring. She frowned suddenly, at the shocked look at her sister's face. Feeling guilt for snapping at her sister, Lucy averted her eyes and noticed a few of the nuns, standing in a group nearby looking at her in chastisement. Lucy glared at them before grabbing Minerva by the arm and dragging Minerva a few feet away. "He doesn't feel the same way about me, all right?"

Minerva looked over at her sister with a sad frown as they continued to walk along the festival. "How do you know that?" Minerva asked quietly, tentatively tucking a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear as it came lose from the lose but elegant bun her hair was held in.

Lucy looked at her feet thoughtfully as they walked, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. "I think it's fairly obvious that he's in love with someone else," Lucy responded tartly. Again, she felt like her lungs were being squeezed at the thoughts that Mr. Gold was still in love with a girl who had passed years ago and simply used her. It was cruel, what he did to her... to lead her on and play with her sentiments, when they were so strong and could destroy her.

"Lucy, you have to talk to him. You don't know if that's true; sometimes things aren't what they seem," Minerva said, stopping and turning to look at her sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Lucy just shook her head. She knew her sister was right and she had agreed with Mr. Gold that she'd allow him to tell her about it, but... she was sure whatever story he told her would probably only be what he thought she wanted to hear. How could she believe anything that he said? How would she know if what he said was the truth? Would she be able to know he was lying to her, or would her desires cloud her judgement and make her believe simply because she desired him so?

"What if it's a lie, when he says it is me he loves? How do I know?" Lucy asked, slowly looking up at her sister who seemed to consider this a moment with a furrowed brow.

"I suppose... by his actions," Minerva stated slowly.

XX

He was convinced she wouldn't come to him. His mood only became fouler as the days continued to pass. He knew he had been stupid, to hope that things could be different in this world for him. Twenty-eight years, he had been free of the agony that the magic that pulsed inside him caused, only to have it replaced with the agony that being in love caused. He supposed twenty-eight years of peace were really more than he should have hoped for, even if they had been empty.

Mr. Gold stopped on his walk home, and grimaced as he saw the people who milled about the town square with the _nuns'_ candles in their hands. A snarl curled on his face as his hand gripped the head of his cane tightly. He supposed it had been too much to believe he'd finally be able to get rid of the little meddlesome creatures.

Turning around, he marched away. However, he didn't get far down the dark streets of Storybrooke, darker now due to the black-out, when he heard footsteps behind him. Stiffening, he stopped and slowly turned. Narrowing his gaze, he tried to make out the dark shadow that was coming closer to him; the silhouette was slender and just a few inches shorter than him, or would be if they were not wearing a hat. His heart started to beat a little fast, as a feeling of deja-vu came over him.

In a moment, the figure shrouded in darkness, stepped close enough that he could begin to see her. "Lucy?" he asked with cautious wonder as she stopped a few feet before him and stood facing him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. In the dark, her purple pea coat and scarf looked as black as her hair and fedora. He could hardly make out the features of her pretty face, but he was quite sure a strained expression was there.

"I thought you could tell me that story you promised me," Lucy stated, trying to sound detached, but she wasn't sure it was at all convincing. Frowning, she stepped closer. "Most of the town is at the festival, I thought we could use the blackout to our advantage," Lucy went on, clearing her throat of the lump that always seemed to form in it when she either thought of him, or spoke of or to him these days. Only minutes ago, when the blackout occurred, she took advantage of it to slip away from her sisters. She'd intended to go to his shop, but saw him standing across from the square.

"Right," Mr. Gold said, with a small frown as the moment of truth had seemed to have come. He felt his stomach twist itself into knots. Despite his desperation to speak with Lucy to clear things up, he didn't actually look forward to revealing this bit of his past; nor was it easy for him to speak of it. "It's not a pretty story," Mr. Gold stated slowly, thinking ironically about how much of an understatement that was.

"I don't expect it will be," Lucy stated dryly. "Although if you'd rather not tell it, than we could forget the whole thing and I could just leave."

"You drive a hard bargain, my dear," Mr Gold stated, his tone sad but sounding incredibly fond of her at the same time. She could hear a hint of a smile in his voice, even though she couldn't see it, and for that she was glad. Just hearing a smile in his voice made her heart speed up and heat to uncoil from her heart. Lucy tried to stamp down on her feelings and remain cool. "Care for a walk?" he asked, offering her his arm. Lucy cast a glance at it, however, she didn't take it and merely started walking slowly. Mr. Gold sighed, as he turned to walk alongside her. He hadn't actually expected her to take his arm.

For a few minutes, they walked in silence, Mr. Gold wondering what he was supposed to say, both forgetting all about the cold and the dark as they made their way down familiar, but nearly pitch-black streets. "I'm not quite sure where to begin," Mr. Gold stated quietly, not really wishing to break the silence, but knowing Lucy wasn't exactly the most patient person, he felt he should say something.

"At the beginning, obviously," Lucy responded sardonically, an edge of impatience in her tone as they walked slowly. She was making a real effort to keep her stride slow so that she could walk alongside him to hear this story, and the silence had been starting to annoy her.

"Mr. French owes me a lot of money, to get his business running. When his girl turned eighteen, she started working for me. She wanted to help her father with his debt. Belinda French was... as you said a very beautiful girl, and kind, but she was also clever and sweet. I spent a lot of time in her company, and at the time she was the only person in Storybrooke who didn't fear me... and who even bothered to be kind to me," Mr. Gold told in low voice, attempting to keep all inflections from his tone; as much as it hurt him to tell it, it hurt Lucy to listen. However, she tried to stifle her emotions and tell herself, she had to see this through.

"I enjoyed having her around... I'd never really had a friend before she came into my life," Mr. Gold admitted quietly. "It does get lonely, being the town devil." _And the village coward_, he thought to himself disparagingly.

Lucy didn't say anything to this, knowing how much courage it took to admit to something like that and a part of her, sort of understood him. Aside from her sisters and Ruby, she didn't really have any friends, at least not until Graham came into her life. She had grown to care him for him a good deal, and his absence still continued to cause her some heartache at times. She wished they'd had more time, she thought, shaking her head to clear her head, thinking it was no good to think of now.

"If you weren't such a bastard to people, you probably wouldn't be so lonely," Lucy commented, despite the small amount of pity she felt for him and despite the way her heart beat with a little more hope at the fact that he'd share as much with her. Personally, she didn't really care that he was a bastard. She was sure that he probably had his reasons, probably a whole life full of bitterness, for it.

"I suppose not, but I am what I am and nothing is changing that," Mr. Gold commented coldly, glaring down at the pavement. "Little Bel, thought because she saw a little good in me, that... well let's just say I think she loved the idea of who I could be, more than she did me. She was young and naïve, and confused things. I did love her, but it was not the way she thought. When she confessed to being in love with me and kissed me, I didn't react well. I was unnecessarily cruel to her with my words and fired her, but I did it because it was the best for her.

"The girl had her head in the clouds and was a tad too romantic, she got it into her head that she would only ever love me. I thought if I was cruel to her, she'd eventually see that I was right and move on, fall in love with a young man her own age as she should," Mr. Gold said, his words coming out in a feverish rush before he ran out of steam. His throat was starting to become uncomfortably tight, as he thought over the next part of the story. The hardest part.

Lucy, who had been listening, hardly noticed the pause. She found it almost eery, how much his story reminded her of what seemed to have happened between herself and Graham. She hadn't reacted well to his kiss either, and she had told him that he was confused. She was of course right in the end, but Graham had had his chance to find something real, brief though it had been. Mr. French's daughter probably hadn't had that time.

"I should've known, what she would do. Bel was an incredibly sensitive child, with very few friends because she was so bookish. Working for me and so closely only served to further ostracize her; I should have known what rejecting her would do to her," Mr. Gold stated, his voice thick with guilt.

Before she could really rationalize what she was doing, Lucy stopped walking and wrapped her arms around Mr. Gold. "It's not your fault, she committed suicide. That was her choice, and it was a selfish one," Lucy stated heatedly, unable to understand how he could possibly blame himself for someone else's weakness.

Mr. Gold didn't say anything to this, merely buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed her in, his free arm winding tightly around her waist and pressing her to him. Though the story he told her was merely the false memory Regina had implanted, it was close enough to the truth. However, he could never think of Belle having been selfish with her suicide, it was the only way to end the torture her father put her through.

However, he didn't want to think of that anymore. Not when he had Lucy in his arms, and could hold her again, and feel her warmth. Clutching her tightly to him, he breathed in her clean sea-like scent, mixed with the barest hint of coconut. Her hair, fragrant like flowers. He never wanted to let her go, but he knew that was impossible, Lucy was already starting to pull away as if suddenly recalling herself.

"That still doesn't explain the extremes you went to," Lucy stated, averting her gaze, unable to believe herself and how easily she was willing to take all he told her at face value. Though his story rang true, and she was sure most of it was, that didn't mean she was wrong in thinking that Mr. Gold was still in love with Belinda French. Or that he had used her to forget _Bel_ as he nicknamed her.

"If you knew someone was responsible for Sheriff Graham's death, what would you have done?" Mr. Gold asked rhetorically. He of course knew Regina was responsible for that death, knowing her penchant to take people's hearts. And a man like the Sheriff does not keel over because of a heart attack. However, he couldn't tell Lucy that, even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. Somehow he knew that if she knew the truth, she wouldn't hesitate in going after Regina and despite Lucy being a strong girl, he didn't want her getting on Regina's bad side.

"That happened years ago," Lucy argued, suggesting he should be over it already, if that was all it was. Revenge over the sake of a _friend_.

"I hold grudges for very long periods of time," Mr. Gold explained simply, with the sinking feeling that all was not yet well and wouldn't be for some time.

Odd as it was, his words made a smile begin to form on Lucy's face before she stomped down on it. "I suppose you certainly would be the type to hold grudges for ages," Lucy replied with a small sneer. However, her tone came off more light and teasing than she had meant, so Mr. Gold chose to ignore it. "I still don't know if I believe you. You could be lying... and your actions speak more of the grief for one's love than for a friend."

Mr. Gold grit his teeth. He loved Lucy, he did, but she had to be one of the least tactful person he'd ever met. He supposed he should be happy that she was such an honest person and pulled no punches, but tact existed for a reason. It was meant to spare people's feelings and the whole basis for polite society.

"Well, _princess,_ I see how you wouldn't be able to understand. After all, even if you don't have friends you are surrounded by your sisters. You don't know what it's like to be truly alone," he couldn't help biting out. However, he regretted it almost at once, noticing the sudden stiffening in her stance and the way she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Mentally, he cursed himself, wondering what could possibly possess him to say such a thing to a temperamental girl. He was trying to reconcile with her, not piss her off!

"You could be surrounded by a sea of people, and still feel alone," Lucy snapped back, feeling her anger flare at his audacity to assume he knew anything about what her life was like. The fact that he called her princess only seemed to aggravate her further. She _hated_ that. Especially when he said it in the same derisive tone that girls at school used it with when addressing her or one of her sisters.

Mr. Gold sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lucy," he started, more calmly as he wracked his mind for words that he help him pacify her anger and insecurities. "If I loved her, don't you think she'd still be around? She committed suicide because I rejected her and she felt she had nowhere else to go."

Lucy furrowed her brow, she hadn't really considered that. "You can't know that was the only reason. Suicides are complicated by an array of reasons only known to the person who does it. Besides, its not her sentiments or yours for that matter that are the problem. How do I know you're not simply using me?"

"You didn't seem to think I was doing so before," Mr. Gold pointed out, feeling his patience was starting to wear thin. Briefly he wondered if this would have been easier in their own world. Would Andrina have been so easily shaken by the ghosts of the past? Would she have doubted him and herself this way?

He didn't know. He knew that certain aspects in people's personalities were changed, so that people wouldn't really recall themselves. Wasn't so much that their personalities were different, just that one aspect was considerably suppressed while a smaller aspect made more apparent, but it was all still there.

In no one was this more apparent, than in Mr. Nolan and Miss Blanchard. Miss Blanchard was almost painfully meek, whereas Snow White... well she was willing enough to assassinate the Queen. As for Prince Charming, he wasn't quite so Charming in this world and seemed to rather lack the backbone and nobility his other self had in abundance.

Other aspects of their own world would have made things easier, also. One being that her age wouldn't have mattered in the least. In their world, there weren't really consent laws. After all, a child could be betrothed from birth, and at the age of sixteen most girls were married off. If they reached their mid-twenties and were not, they were considered well on their way to spinsterhood.

"You have no reason to doubt me. I will never lie to you Lucy, I give you my word."

Lucy bit on her lip for a moment at his promise. His word was his law, but he was also a master at words and could bend them to his will; it was how people fell into his tricks. He knew all the loopholes. She'd already been going through every moment they were together, looking at it as though through a microscope, trying to find any instance which gave him away, but she'd come up with nothing; she simply didn't know and it had all been exhausting. She didn't want to keep doing so.

"I-" Lucy faltered. She hated this. She'd didn't think she'd ever been this dreadfully unsure of anything before in her life. It was awful. Why did love made such pretzels out of people's minds? "I think I still need time to think," Lucy stated finding that she was at a loss for what else to say. "And I have to get home. It's late, they've probably noticed I'm missing from the fair. If I have any hope of not having to answer questions, I should get home before they do and I fear its probably already too late."

"Very well, Lucy," Mr. Gold stated quietly, the quiet desperation in his voice hard to miss. His heart ached, lingering in this limbo was torturous. Lucy nodded curtly once before turning and jogging away, lately he felt she was always running from him. Shaking his head, Mr. Gold moved at his slower pace home, trying to ignore the painful beats of his heart. Sometimes he wished the old thing had never started beating again.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Sorry for the long wait for the chapter, but I wrote this one over a couple times, as I wasn't quite satisfied. Hope that it was enjoyable though, and that the length was satisfactory. As always, please review and let know your thoughts.


	18. Chapter 18

Despite the night that had thus far passed, and despite the last several days being so torturous, Lucy felt a genuine smile slipping onto her face as she watched her sister Trista celebrating her twentieth birthday. She was glad that her sister was enjoying her birthday so much thus far, she felt that _some_ of them should.

True to her word, Ruby had come to collect them at eleven. Trista and Lucy had only managed to convince Adelaide and unexpectedly, Marina, to come along. Daphne had only been allowed to tag along after much debate as none of them really wanted to expose Daphne to the bar scene at sixteen. After all, she was considered the baby, much to Lucy's amusement and Daphne's chagrin. However, Daphne explained she'd be seventeen in the summer, and that it wasn't fair that she couldn't come along when she was only one year younger than Lucy.

Unexpectedly, they had run into Mr. Newcastle at the bar. Apparently he was a fan of the band that was playing on stage. Daphne, had of course been thrilled by this and currently the pair were sitting at a table talking animatedly, both all bright-eyed and all-smiles. Lucy shook her head as she watched them from her seat at the bar.

The bar was called The Broken Arrow, which Lucy thought was an odd name. The bar itself, was rather a nice place, decently sized, clean and not very dingy. It had a sort of warm brown or golden ambiance to it, with small tables littering the floor while dark booths lined the walled. The bar itself was located on the left side, and there was a small lifted stage at the back, where all the tables faced.

From her seat on the high barstool, Lucy could see the whole place, which was somewhat crowded, most people having probably stopped over from the festival. The bar, however, was darker than the norm due to the nun's candles being the only lights in the whole place. They were even lighting the stage.

Turning her gaze away from the four musicians on the stage, she looked around for her sisters. Daphne and Mr. Davenport still seemed lost in a world of their own. Eyes once more roving around, she spotted her other sisters seated at a booth, surrounded by a few boys. Ruby and Trista were of course being the loudest, hooting and hollering at the band. Lucy smiled once more and shook her head at their antics as she nursed the fruity drink in her hand, compliments of Ruby, being as she and Marina were the only ones of legal drinking age and Marina wouldn't but her sister's a drink.

Slowly, Lucy turned her gaze back to the stage. The lead singer, had a very nice voice she found. It was haunting really, the band's music. Lucy briefly wondered if the band on stage, _Siren Song_, was influenced by a band she rather liked, _Raised By Swans_. It had the same haunting quality, while melodies were downtempo and soft and harmonized beautifully with the vocals.

"Now why are you all alone over here? You should be having a blast with the rest of us!" Lucy turned, surprised to find Ruby standing beside her, smiling broadly.

"I'm just enjoying the band," Lucy said, bringing the straw of her drink to lips and sipping gingerly.

"They're great, right?" Ruby asked enthusiastically, nudging Lucy on the shoulder. Lucy nodded her head, holding her drink away from her to keep it from spilling as she wobbled precariously for a moment on the stool from Ruby's none-too-gentle nudge. She eyed Ruby carefully then, wondering how much Ruby had to drink. They'd been at the bar now for over two hours. It was getting late, and she was starting to feel the day catch up to her, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to go home as of yet. Her sister's certainly weren't ready to.

"Why'd you come over here anyway?" Lucy asked as Ruby took the empty seat beside her and ordered another drink. Lucy was sure if Ruby had so wanted to, she could have simply gotten one of the many guys surrounding the table to buy he one.

Ruby shrugged her shoulders as she took deep drafts of her drink. Lucy furrowed her brow, focusing on the very tall brunette beside her. She saw some of Ruby's wild-child facade crumble as her expression became a bit more sombre. "It's getting harder," Ruby admitted quietly, that Lucy had to lean in to hear her.

"What is?" she asked, confused. Ruby turned to her and gave her a pointed look, however, Lucy was still not sure what she was talking about. "Is she happy?" Ruby suddenly asked. A look of dawning appeared over Lucy's features.

"Minerva?" she whispered, though it was more of a statement. She could see by the sad look in Ruby's brown eyes that she was right and she didn't have to ask what Ruby meant. The part of her question she did not voice was lingering in the air between them. "Truly happy? No, I don't think so. She still misses you terribly."

Ruby nodded her head as she threw back the rest of her drink. Sometimes when she thought of her Minerva being with the Mayor... she felt such a ferocious rage, that it s scared the crap out of her. When Minerva left the inn that day, she was almost sure she could smell the Mayor on her. It was insane really, but that's what she had felt and it filled her with such a blinding rage, she had vibrated with it.

"I thought I could forget her, you know?" Ruby suddenly stated, slamming her glass down and looking at Lucy with a look of grief pronounced so strongly over it, that Lucy squirmed in her seat. "I was stupid to think I could forget Minerva. She's so... smart. She's always had her head on straight, but she's so affectionate and loving. That's just her. Always looking out for everyone, putting everyone else before her and god could she sing. How could I forget her? How can anyone compare?

"But I get it, you know? I mean... look at me and look at the Mayor. Of course Min is gonna want her, she has... class! She's got the whole sophistication thing going for her and she's the fucking Mayor! Me, I'm just a waitress. Its the only thing I'm good at, that and whoring around," Ruby said bitterly, ordering another drink and tossing that back as well as Lucy watched her fall apart with eyes filled slightly with horror. She was not particularly equipped to deal with this.

"Ruby... you're not-" Lucy faltered for a moment, searching for something to say. "You're worth so much more than the Mayor! You work hard, and are incredibly loyal. And you're not stupid, Ruby!"

Ruby shook her head as she stared at the contents of her glass. "I can't stand the thought of Min being with her. Or with anybody. Pretty selfish of me, isn't it? I slept around without a care about what it did to her, now I can't take it when for once in how many years she's finally found someone? I wish I could just leave this place, maybe that will make it easier."

Lucy swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought of Storybrooke without Ruby. She'd already lost Graham, she couldn't abide the thought of losing Ruby too. Especially not now. Not when she felt as big a mess as Ruby looked in this instant, drunkenly pouring her heart out.

But there was nothing she could really say to Ruby to make her cheer up. She wanted to be able to tell Ruby that it would pass, and that she and Minerva belonged together and would end up together. However, she didn't know if that was true. In fact, that'd be too much like a fairytale, and they didn't live in a fairytale. The real world had no guaranteed happy-endings.

However, after a moment of thought, Lucy straightened in her seat. "Her heart still belongs to you. You should fight for her!"

Ruby shook her head, for some reason her friends sudden outburst causing her to fall into a giggle fit. "It's a lost cause," Ruby panted between giggles, barely able to breathe as tears of mirth mixed with hopelessness trekked down her cheek, obscuring the dark make-up around her eyes. Honestly, Lucy never understood why Ruby wore so much crap on her face. She was pretty without it. She felt the makeup was far too dramatic.

"Both you and Minerva are hopeless," Lucy sighed in exasperation, reaching for a napkin to help clean Ruby's face off without making her face a bigger mess. "No... you're infuriating, is what you are! You love each other but instead of being together you mope and pine, but do nothing about it!"

"Love is a leap of faith, Lucy. Maybe one day you'll fall I love and realize how terrorizing it is to make the jump with nothing more to go on than hope and faith. I already did and look at what it got me in the end... because the truth is I was never good enough for Minerva and she finally saw that," Ruby commented, grabbing another drink and heading back to the table she'd previously occupied, plastering a fake smile on her face.

Lucy shook her head. She knew that Ruby was wrong, knew that despite her wild child image that there was so much more to Ruby and that Minerva had not only seen that, but loved her for everything she was. But despite knowing that Ruby was wrong on that account, did not make her wholly wrong.

_Love is a leap of faith_, yes Lucy was starting to see that. Ruby was, or perhaps had been before her heart had been crushed, the type of girl to go on just faith. She supposed that Miss Blanchard was that kind of girl as well. But for herself?

Lucy wasn't really sure what kind of girl she was. She'd always tried for apathy, apathy was so easy. Poking fun at everything and staying at a distance from it all, watching and not quite participating, it made life so much easier. But it wasn't really living. That she discovered when she started spending time with Mr. Gold. Slowly, he'd somehow managed to draw her out of her shelter and bring her back to life. For a time, things were confusing and messy, but everything seemed to become much more clear when she realized that she'd fallen in love with him and accepted it.

Now... now she wasn't sure. Perhaps like so many other's, her faith had been broken or at the very least severely shaken. And what on earth had possessed her to put any faith in Mr. Gold in the first place? She knew choosing who you love wasn't an option, but she had chosen to allow him further into her life.

Lucy didn't know what to make of that. After all she knew what kind of person Mr. Gold was, but she'd never feared him or what he could do to her in the least. She wasn't sure why, or how she managed to place any faith in him in the first place, knowing his deceptive nature. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have, and Lucy knew herself not to be stupid, so why had she?

Her head was beginning to spin. She'd bent and twisted her mind up like a pretzel again and she was no closer to knowing what she should do, only uncomfortably aware that if she stayed away from Mr. Gold, she'd not only be breaking her promises to him and herself but be turning into a coward. Lucy didn't want to be a coward, and had always believed herself to be a much bolder sort of person.

She couldn't run away from Mr. Gold, or her feelings for him. More than that, she didn't want to pine away after him the way Ruby and Minerva foolishly pined away from each other. Mr. Gold said that she was everything to him, and implicating that he loved her more than anything, but he hadn't actually said it and that's what the trouble really was. Mr. Gold, being a man of his word was therefore a master at words, otherwise he'd never get what he wanted.

He'd said he loved Belinda French, but not romantically. However, Lucy didn't quite believe that because of his actions. His actions seemed to tell otherwise, and Lucy thought it was more than a little likely that Mr. Gold just might be in denial and not realize it.

So what were her options?

She could go on as she was living her own personal hell, secretly pining for the man and hope the strong feelings she felt for him would someday fade.

Or she could give the man the chance that for some reason or other he so wanted. She could try to enjoy his company, while trying to decipher his feelings by watching his actions. Minerva did say that it was his actions that would tell, and Lucy did rather believe actions were more telling than words.

The first option she knew was totally unacceptable, the mere idea of it made her think of herself as a coward and she knew would probably lead to much self-loathing. However, she didn't think how she could go on with the second option, knowing it could lead to an even greater degree of pain if in the end she found he was in love with _his Bel_. Unless she put up walls around herself to keep him from delving deeper inside her than he already managed to.

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips. She wanted to bang her head against something. She felt she wasn't getting anywhere, and this indecision was making her seriously angry. Putting her forehead down on the cool bar Lucy tried to clear her head. All her thinking was going to give her a headache, and wasn't tonight supposed to be about distracting herself? It had and she was failing at it so magnificently since the start.

Thinking that it was not to late, and knowing she probably wouldn't get any further with her thoughts, Lucy got to her feet. It was her sister's birthday and she should be enjoying it, she told herself firmly as she forced her feet to take her to her sisters' table.

XX

"So... at what time did you all get in?" Minerva asked archly after their father and Christian had vacated the breakfast table the following morning. Daphne, Adelaide and Marina exchanged guilty looks while Trista was practically asleep where she sat. Lucy ignored the question as she slumped over her bowl of cereal. She was still rather tired as she and her sisters had gotten in at nearly four in the morning and had to be up and ready for breakfast. "You are all unbelievable! And dragging Daphne to a bar of all places!"

"Give it a rest, Minerva. God, this is why you never get invited out," Trista complained irritably, placing her head in her hands. Minerva momentarily frowned at this and looked over at Lucy, who merely shrugged her shoulders as Trista did have a point. Minerva was far too responsible and could be a bit of a killjoy.

"How was it?" Elaine asked curiously, leaning ever so slightly into the table, her curls brushed over her shoulders. She herself had been invited, but she hadn't been particularly in the mood. Besides that, she hadn't wanted anything to get in the way of her beauty sleep.

Lucy went back to trying to finish her bowl of cereal as her sisters started talking. For the most part, she tuned them out. "Daphne spent most of the night with Mr. Newcastle," she heard Adelaide suddenly tease after they all spoke of the band, bar and general atmosphere and how much fun they had.

"Yeah, it's kind of strange. I mean is that really appropriate? Isn't he your music teacher?" Marina suddenly asked, casting a look down the table to where Daphne sat.

"We were just talking about the band, and music in general," Daphne responded, still rather flushed as she stared down at her food.

"Awww, Daphne has a crush!" Trista suddenly teased, laughing as Daphne turned as red as her hair. "It's about time really, I was starting to think you'd be like Lucy who thinks no one is good enough for her."

Lucy furrowed her brow at this, wondering why she was being dragged into it and a bit indignant at the assumption made about her. "What? I don't think that no one is good enough for me! What would make you think that?"

"The fact that you've never liked anyone," Trista retorted with a slight snort of amusement, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. "You've always thought most people around you are stupid, and when a hot guy is pointed out to you, all you ever say is, _I guess he's all right_."

"She's right you know, you've never shown an interest in anyone," Adelaide said, nodding her head along with Marina, Daphne and Elaine. Lucy was vaguely offended that all her sisters seemed to agree. Except Minerva who was keeping quiet and eyeing Lucy carefully. For a moment, Lucy hoped that she wasn't about to say something about what she discovered the previous evening at the fair.

"I'd always thought you hated men, at least I did after you kicked Dr. Whale. Marvelous though it was," Elaine stated with amusement.

"I thought you might like Sheriff Graham, you were so upset when he passed," Daphne stated contemplatively. At the mention of Graham, Lucy felt her stomach clench; she missed him so terribly suddenly. For a moment, she wondered if that would ever go away.

"I'm sorry, but why are we talking about my lack of love interest?" Lucy suddenly snapped irritably. "It's not like any of you are currently seeing anyone. Except Min."

"Well maybe if you did see someone you'd be in a better mood than you have been," Trista stated. Lucy, having had enough of this, merely got up and left the room feeling rather annoyed with most of her sisters for thinking her some sort of love snob. She wondered what any of them would say if they knew that she was actually in love, and with Mr. Gold of all people. None of them would be very happy about that, she thought with a grimace.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. While I still do have ideas for the story, I'm having more trouble figuring the order I want them in, or committing them to writing. Not really sure why. I hope its not simply my muse leaving me.

If any mistakes are encountered in this chap, I apologize for that. I just wanted to get this chapter up. I hope it was an enjoyable chap at least, even if our fave imp wasn't in it. Perhaps in the next. Let me know what you all reading this think.


	19. Chapter 19: The Savior

"I'm going out of my mind," Lucy commented quietly from where she knelt on the cold and hard ground, not in the least concerned that there would be dirt stains on her jeans as she sat staring at the cold piece of stone. She had her hands, shoved into her coat pockets as she sat on her heels. Her scarf was wrapped several times about her neck, and the folds partially covered her chin and mouth, stopping just short of her nose. It kept her hair pinned beneath, however the wind still managed to push strands of her dark hair into her vision.

She wasn't sure what she was doing there. She'd needed to get out of her house and away form her sisters. She hadn't really known where she was going, but somehow her feet had lead her to the cemetery. Once there, the urge to visit Graham's plot was far too strong. However, as she stared at the slab with his name, she felt silly.

Graham was gone and this was just a piece of stone. What was she doing, trying to talk to it? Why had she come here for understanding, or comfort?

"You'd probably understand. Better than anyone, I think, but you're not here," she went on, just as quietly as she drew her gaze away for a moment and stared up at the grey skies. "I should've visited sooner... I'm sorry I just ran out that day but I just... I couldn't deal with it," Lucy went on, her eyes glazing over as she thought of the day of his funeral and how she had run into the forrest. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the tug at her heart when she remembered how Mr. Gold had comforted her, how it felt to be in his arms.

Opening her green eyes, Lucy turned and looked at the grey piece of slab. "I miss you," Lucy admitted quietly, barely above a whisper. "I wish you were still here... it's still hard knowing that you're gone," Lucy commented with a frown. "I hope wherever you are, you're happy. You deserve it."

Lucy fell silent for a time, as she merely sat staring at the headstone of her friend, while wondering if he were around what he would say. If she could bring herself to speak to him about what was going on through her head. However, she shook her head. She knew that if Graham were still alive, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to speak to him, anymore than she could bring herself to speak to any of her sisters, or Ruby... or Dr. Hopper.

"It's probably easier speaking to dead... they can't tell your secrets... or judge you. Or well, if they did judge you, you wouldn't know about it," Lucy smiled wearily. Shaking her head. She was really starting to sound like a crazy person. "But you wouldn't judge me... I don't think. You'd probably just feel sorry for me and my predicament."

A gust of wind stung her cheeks, however, Lucy could hardly feel the cold that should be seeping into her bones. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, what to believe. It's so frustrating, nothing has ever confused me so much. It's maddening. I feel like I'm blind and trying to see my way through the dark, stumbling around. ME! I'm supposed to see everything so clearly! I've never doubted anything or myself like this before!"

Lucy sighed, bowing her head and trying to regain control over her emotions. Reaching an icy cold hand, she rubbed the tears of frustration from her eyes before shoving it back into her coat pocket. Looking once more to the stone, Lucy felt her heart clench painfully with the desire that she was speaking to Graham and not to some piece of granite. "This cold piece of slab is a poor substitution for you, Graham," Lucy noted, smiling sadly. She for a moment hated herself for wishing so much that he was here with her, when she knew that nothing ever came from wishing.

"You know, I was happy for a time. Now it seems... surreal. Like another lifetime ago. Isn't it pitiful though, I was happy when I knew nothing! Nothing that mattered at least. I suppose it is true what they say, ignorance is bliss," Lucy stated, laughing humorlessly. "I'm such an idiot... it's probably my youth, right? Makes us think we have it all figured out, but we know nothing! You know... I think if my father heard me say this, he'd be pleased beyond words."

Lucy shook her head, not sure why she'd even brought up her father. Her mind was a mess, muddling everything together so that nothing made sense. A part of her was staring to resent Mr. Gold for doing this to her. She was starting to think, she was better off before... before any of this had happened, before she had to step into his damn shop and meet the enigmatic man who had the whole town shivering in their boots.

Furrowing her brow briefly, Lucy wondered what had made her think she could contend with the man? Was it just part of that arrogance of youth that made one feel invincible, like nothing could touch them? Or was it something else?

Lucy remained silent for a while as she thought it over. From the first, she'd been cautious about Mr. Gold, knowing his reputation. However, she had never been afraid of him. Not in the slightest, nor for a single moment. She'd never thought he could cause her harm. Then again, she'd never thought she'd fall in love with the man either. After all, he was much older than her and they could hardly have much in common.

Why had she fallen for the man?

Lucy frowned. The question hadn't troubled her over much before, she hadn't seen much of a sense in over-analyzing her emotions towards the pawnbroker and simply accepted them after denying them for some time.

The man was simply fascinating. He was interesting, and sharp, unlike most of the people in Storybrooke. He was also so very intelligent, clever and his dry wit and humor made her laugh and smile. That was not to mention that he was a mystery to her that she couldn't quite resist trying to unravel and he had shown her a tenderness she hadn't known he was capable of.

Though she knew that the man was devious, and part of her was for whatever reason attracted by that quality, she also knew there was another side to him. Something buried very deep beneath the polite and civil facade that was often subtly cold and cruel. There was something else there... something which hinted at an unhindered, passionate and yet quiet soul.

Lucy shook her head... telling herself it was no use analyzing her own sentiments. Her feelings were not in question. She was still intensely in love with the man, and intrigued by him. She wanted to be by his side, and learn everything there was to know about him feeling with no uncertainty that nothing would ever make her cease to love him.

However, his sentiments were another matter.

_'You mean everything to me.'_

That's what he said, and Lucy wanted to believe him with all her heart. She wanted to believe that was true. However, what had he done to prove that? If actions spoke louder than words... than by far his actions seemed to imply that he was still in love with Belinda French. So where did that leave her? She supposed it was possible to love more than one person at the same time, and it wasn't like Mr. Gold had a chance with Miss French being as the girl had passed years ago.

But the idea that she was some kind of consolation prize didn't particularly appeal to Lucy. Her pride simply couldn't abide that. She already felt like she came in near to last place in every aspect of her life... she wouldn't take it in this instance.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I? I'm jealous of a dead girl," Lucy groaned, shutting her eyes. And she was, she knew it. She couldn't help wondering what was so great about this French girl, what had been so special about her? However, Lucy shoved these thoughts deep down inside. It was petty of her, and she felt she was above that.

"Lucy Davenport?"

Lucy furrowed hr brow and looked up slowly, a bit irritated to be called from her thoughts and have her privacy suddenly invaded. Looking up, she was a bit surprised to see the blonde Sheriff standing some paces away, watching her warily. "Sheriff Swan, what are you doing here?" Lucy couldn't help asking, her irritation momentarily forgotten in her shock. Noticing the uncomfortable look Emma Swan shot at her, and how she suddenly started to fidget with her hands, Lucy decided that whatever it was the Sheriff was doing there, she didn't feel comfortable sharing with Lucy. "You don't have to answer that, if you don't want to," Lucy offered with a slight smile, almost apologetic in nature.

Emma nodded wordlessly, as she stepped steadily closer so that she stood opposite of where Lucy knelt. "If you don't mind, what are _you_ doing here?"

Lucy smiled ruefully as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure... my feet just brought me here and... I just started talking. Although, I'm not sure if he's listening."

Emma once more looked uncomfortable at this statement, though she nodded while shifting the weight of her feet form one to the other. "You were friends with Graham?"

Lucy nodded her head. "It really doesn't make sense to me... still. That he's gone I mean. It seems impossible to believe that he had a coronary, I mean he was so young and healthy," Lucy commented, turning away form the blonde woman to look at the stone, her brow furrowing. "I saw him... only a couple days prior to- _it_. He was a bit agitated, but I thought he was going to be fine."

"You really cared about him, huh?"

Lucy furrowed her brow as she turned to look at Emma with a questioning look. "Of course, he was my friend. Didn't you care about him? Isn't that why you're here?"

Emma was a bit taken aback at the sudden ferocity that came over the dark-haired teen. The defensive look in her forrest-green eyes had Emma reeling and she wondered what it was she had done or said to set the girl on edge. "Whoa- I didn't mean anything by it," Emma said, putting up her hands in the universal sign of surrender.

Lucy shook her head. "No that's okay... sorry about that, I've just got a lot on my mind lately."

"Anything I can do to help?" Emma asked, kneeling down opposite of the girl and giving her a friendly smile.

"No... I don't think you can, but thanks for the offer," Lucy responded coolly and indifferently. She knew that the Sheriff meant well, but she hardly knew the woman. She knew that Emma Swan was special and that Lucy could easily like the woman, but she didn't think the new Sheriff could help her, no matter what all the woman was capable of. "You know... he talked to me about you."

"What?" Emma asked confused as the girl suddenly turned to look at her with deep and penetrating green eyes that were suddenly starting to sparkle as the girl offered her a smile.

"Graham, he talked to me about you. I think you made his last weeks happier. I'm glad he had the opportunity to meet you, I think you did him good. Freed him form the Mayor's grip," Lucy spoke, her gaze unfocussed as she thought about those last few days. She was so caught in her thoughts, she missed the startled and pained look that crossed the older woman's face.

For a moment, Emma Swan felt stricken. She hadn't thought about Graham for weeks, hadn't wanted to. It still pained her some. She wasn't sure either what had brought her to Graham's cemetery plot, but she missed the man. Especially since Kathryn had gone missing, and she had to take in David for questioning. Emma knew enough of the world to know that it was only a matter of time before her roommate was somehow implicated in Kathryn's disappearance. Especially if Regina had anything to say about it.

Emma felt out of control, and with hardly anything at all to go on, she was missing Graham more than ever. Somehow she felt that if he were there, things wouldn't be so complicated. He had been her boss... a friend... perhaps something more and she needed his guidance.

Shaking her head of these thoughts, she focused on Lucy Davenport. "You knew about-"

"About Graham and Mayor Mills? Oh yeah, it was pretty obvious," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. A grimace curled Lucy's mouth as she thought about the Regina Mills, the very thought of the woman left a vile taste in her mouth. She wanted her sister as far away from the older woman as was possible, the idea of them together still made her stomach churn. "She made Graham lose respect for himself and trapped him in this cage... you set him free."

Emma furrowed her brow and shook her head. "I didn't-"

"You did... he needed you to help him. I tried to tell him that he needed to stop what he was doing with Regina, that she didn't make him happy, but he really didn't listen to me. But things changed when you came," Lucy said, looking at the blonde woman. She knew by instinct alone that Emma was the reason Graham would defy the Mayor. "I hear you were there when he... died. At least, he wasn't alone in his last moments. I'm sure you were a great comfort to him."

"How do you know I was with him?" Emma asked startled. She was sure that that hadn't been public knowledge.

"Ruby... she knows everything that happens here," Lucy responded, with a slight smile of fondness for Ruby who was almost like a sister to her. She would be... if she and Min could get their heads on straight. Emma merely nodded at this, frowning slightly.

"How do you and Ruby, know each other? I mean, she's like a couple years older than you, isn't she?" Emma suddenly asked, something she'd been rather curious about; among other things. Like what she had really been doing at the station a couple weeks prior, however, she felt that _that_ wouldn't have been very prudent to ask.

"She and my older sister Minerva used to go to school together in the same year. They were close friends," Lucy replied absently, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I should go now," Lucy said, getting to her feet and rubbing the dirt from her knees, before stuffing her hands in her pockets. "It was nice talking to you, Sheriff Swan."

"Emma." Lucy stopped and turned slightly, to gaze at the still kneeling woman questioningly. "You can call me Emma."

Lucy smiled and nodded her head simply. "Emma then," Lucy replied softly, before turning and walking away. She had spent enough time with Graham, and somehow she felt that Emma probably wanted to spend some time alone with his grave.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Sorry about the long wait and short chapter, but I wanted to get something up, I could've written a longer chapter but it would've taken me even longer to update then.

I've started working so I have less time to write, which on top of the problems I've had with writing even before this, it just makes it harder. But I will continue writing this story if people keep reading it.

I will try to update soon, but I haven't started on the next chapter. But please review if you're reading this and tell me what you think. Also, any suggestions? It's all much appreciated. And for all those reviewing, thanks for the support.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/n:** First off I want to thank **Gwen** and **Iroquois** for reviewing, and since Iroquois mentioned it, I think you'll be happy to note that there will be some Mr. Gold in this chapter. Hopefully enough to satisfy. LOL.

Also want to thank **lfitch86** for reviewing. To answer some of your questions, of course Lucy's birthday will be coming up, hopefully soon, though I haven't plotted out that part yet. As for what occurred to Rumpel and Andrina... as I explained before, their encounters happened shortly before the Rumpel was captured and the curse enacted. As for what's been going on with Mr. Gold of late, read and find out, same goes as to what happened to them in fairytale land. ;)

And now onto the story!

* * *

><p><p>

Mr. Gold sat in his office, carefully cleaning one of the more valuable items he'd collected as he contemplated recent events and the game in play.

Kathryn Nolan was missing, and Mr. Gold knew very well who was behind it and who would be implicated. Regina wasn't anywhere near as clever as she believed herself to be. However, when he considered that it would be Mary Margaret Blanchard who she'd be contending with, cleverness was not something she'd really need. Even Emma Swan would need his aid, unfortunately the woman was incredibly stubborn and untrusting.

She _needed_ his help, but how to get her to see that? That was the question. Considering the fact that she didn't trust him, with good reason of course, he'd need to force her hand by making Miss Blanchard seem so guilty, Emma Swan would be desperate for his help.

He'd already laid down the ground work. He'd extracted a deal from Regina to get his battery charges dropped and planted in her hands the perfect plan to get rid of Miss Blanchard. Of course, Regina would merely be implicating herself and he had enough confidence that when Miss Blanchard ran that their blonde savior would bring the wayward teacher back.

Mr. Gold paused in his task and momentarily rubbed his brow. He'd already paid a visit to Miss Blanchard and convinced her to take allow him to provide his legal services to her. That had really been far too easy, despite Sheriff Swan's attempts to dissuade her _friend_.

By now, he was aware that Miss Blanchard had to have found the skeleton key to her cell. This part of his plan was the only part that really... worried him. It left a bit too much to chance. Would Miss Blanchard really take the key and run? Would Emma really be able to find her before Regina noticed Miss Blanchard was gone? Would it happen on time for the arraignment?

For perhaps the millionth time, he wondered if it was all worth it. He didn't really need Miss Blanchard after all. However, he shook his head of that thought, after all he did need to generate some good will for himself from Miss Swan. Getting the woman's mother free would have to count for something in her eyes, even if the savior wasn't aware that Miss Blanchard was her mother.

Sighing, he got up from his seat behind his desk and put the small figurine back in its place before turning to the lamp he would work on next. He needed to be in Emma Swans good graces, he'd known that since the fateful night on the beach where he'd watched Andrina and spoken to her. Though he created the curse to be free of his own curse, while harboring hope that this other world would help him find what he'd lost... he'd also been aware that if he planned to be able to keep Andrina, he'd need the savior to allow it, to forgive him or rather to pardon the things he had done.

Frowning, he stared unhappily at the stupid lamp as he took it in his hands, too distracted to hear the bell of his shop.

Lucy not talking to him... doubting him; that was a set back. The gaping flaw in everything he had done. Everything he did, it was all in part for her. The rest was for Bae... even if he had no hope at all to ever even see his son again. But what good was it all, if he couldn't have Lucy anyway? He knew what it was of course... the damn curse. How could he have Lucy, or how could they have a happy ending, with the curse still intact. It needed to be broken, and only Emma Swan could do that.

"Mr. Gold," a breathless voice called, followed by harried steps. Mr. Gold only half-turned, already recognizing that voice.

"Just taking inventory," he explained, recovering his composure enough to smirk at her as he took his seat back behind his desk and taking the lamp with him. "What can I do for you, Miss Swan? Any developments in the case I should be aware of?" he asked archly once he settled behind his desk, laying his elbows on the surface and curling his hands together as he regarded the Sheriff, taking quick note of her harried appearance.

"Yes, Regina set her up!"

"And this surprises you?" he asked sardonically; though he was not amused. He was already aware of this. After all, he was the one who helped the Mayor set up this whole affair. The fact that the Sheriff was so slow on he uptake was a bit vexing. "Show me your evidence and we'll get this over with immediately."

But she had no evidence, he already knew that. He had to stop himself from smirking as the blonde placed her hands on his desk and leaned over conspiratorially. "Yeah that's the thing, there isn't any," she spouted, pressing anxiously on his desk, practically cutting across his words. Despite the fact that she was being soft-spoken, Mr. Gold could see the desperation in the Sheriff. "Anything that's court worthy," she elaborated. "But I know it now."

"Look who's suddenly become a woman of faith," Mr. Gold sneered. "Why are you here Miss Swan, to spit conspiracy theories?"

"I need help!"

"From me?" Mr. Gold asked, arching his brows, and trying to sound ironic, although he damn well already knew she needed his help. He couldn't keep from nearly laughing at that slightly, and flashing his teeth more than he meant. He was barely able to stop from gesturing too grandly to himself as he looked up at the Sheriff in amusement.

"Every time I've gone up against Regina, I've lost," she explained in a quiet rush. "Except for _once_, when I became Sheriff when _you_ helped."

"As I recall, you don't exactly approve of my methods," he reminded the blonde woman, frowning at her as though this wasn't exactly what he'd wanted.

"I approve of your results. And this time I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend," she beseeched quietly.

Mr. Gold licked his lips, savoring this moment. "Are you willing to go as far as it takes?" he asked, momentarily looking away form her as he picked up his magnifying glass for a brief moment before fixing her with an inquiring look.

"Farther," she replied, intense in her response, as if telling him she didn't take this lightly.

"Now we're talking," he grinned as he picked up his magnifying glass to inspect the lamp; he couldn't help thinking for a moment, that he wished Lucy were this easy to deal with. But then he supposed that if she were, she wouldn't be the mermaid he had fallen in love with. "Fear not Miss Swan, Regina may be powerful but something tells me, you're more powerful than you know," he said, looking up at her with a smile to make sure the point drove home before turning back to the task at hand.

Emma frowned as she straightened and regarded Mr. Gold as he went about his work. The conversation was over, and it was clear to her that Mr. Gold was dismissing her, but she still had her misgivings. She didn't understand the pawnbroker, and she certainly didn't trust him. However... he seemed to have faith in her... but for what?

XX

Lucy couldn't keep herself from looking at Daphne with disgust as they sat at the diner eating breakfast before heading over to school. Daphne was too absorbed in her book to notice the look her elder sister was giving her.

"How can you stand to read that drivel?" Lucy finally snapped irritably at her younger sister. A part of her wanted to rip the novel from her sister's hands before her sister got any stupid, insane notions about what romance and love were supposed to be. Daphne was already enough trouble as it was, she didn't need her getting any funny ideas about Mr. Newcastle and getting the poor man in trouble.

"Well of course you wouldn't like it, you're not at all roman-"

"Don't even finish that statement!" Lucy said, lifting her hand to silence her sister before pinching the bridge of her nose, aware of the bright blue eyes that were watching her. "You do know that the protagonist of that story, is anything but a role model, right? And that the relationship she finds herself in is not real love, and is anything but healthy? If you were in love with a man, and he left you, and you became catatonic, I would smack you so hard you'd wake up in another realm. There isn't anything remotely romantic about being weak; and there is nothing remotely sweet about codependent relationships."

Daphne frowned at her sister as she shut the book she was reading and set it down. "Yeah, well you also don't believe Romeo and Juliet were truly in love, and that's the greatest love story in all of history. You said that Romeo was just a poet who fell in love every other minute, and his speeches were just pretty words, he spouted on a girl who was too young to know any better."

"She was a child. Juliet was like what? Thirteen? And Romeo like 21? What the hell would Juliet know about love?" Lucy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was all an illusion. The story is the greatest love story of all time because they died, and their love, if it could even be called that, was immortalized. If the play didn't end in tragedy, I bet a few years into Romeo and Juliet's marriage, he'd be stepping out and spouting the same sonnets to some other girl while Juliet sat at home playing house-wife and rearing his children."

"Why do you have to be so cynical, Lucy? Why can't you accept that love can be real, that it doesn't have to be just something in stories, or movies? You know what Daddy and Mom were like, is it so far-fetched that other's could have that?" Daphne asked, sounding genuinely upset with her sister as she glared at her.

However, before Lucy could say anything in response to her sister, both Davenport girls were distracted by the sight of Ruby at their table. "Can I get you guys anything else?" she asked brightly.

Lucy and Daphne both shook their heads as they stared at the older girl. For a moment, similar expressions of surprise crossed their faces as they took in the waitress who for once was not scantily clad. "What's with the look? I can actually see your face for once and not pounds of makeup you cake on it," Lucy commented, causing Ruby to smack her on the arm.

"Be nice, or I won't take you out anywhere for your birthday, which by the way is coming up," Ruby teased.

Lucy groaned, "Don't remind me," she muttered with a frown. Her upcoming birthday was the last thing she wanted to think about, especially as now it was coming up so quickly; two weeks to be exact. "You didn't answer my question," Lucy pointed out, not wanting to think about her birthday at all.

Ruby sighed and quickly explained the events leading to her... slight metamorphosis. By the time she was through, Lucy couldn't help frowning as her sister looked on amazed. Daphne was the first to speak. "So... Mr. Nolan is-"

Ruby shook her head. "No... they think it's Mary Margaret."

"The school-teacher?" Lucy asked, completely bewildered as she frowned thinking back to the day she ran into the woman just outside the diner and how distraught the older woman had been. "There's no way in hell it could've been her," Lucy said, shaking her head adamantly. The very idea of Miss Blanchard getting rid of anyone seemed absolutely ridiculous and laughable, despite whatever emotional duress she might've been under.

Ruby nodded in agreement with Lucy. "I know, but I think that's where all the evidence is pointing to. Mary Margaret's even gotten herself a lawyer, although considering it's Mr. Gold I think she's screwed anyway," Ruby commented, frowning deeply.

Lucy thought she felt her heart stop as Mr. Gold was mentioned. Things didn't get any easier since she had gone to visit Graham. She still couldn't get the pawnbroker out of her mind, or sort out her thoughts about him. It didn't help matters that she'd started having to avoid Minerva who was trying to talk to her about who it was that she loved. It was rather trying.

Lucy tried to keep her face neutral as she asked, "Mr. Gold is representing her?" She'd had no idea Mr. Gold was a lawyer, although, she honestly wasn't surprised. Actually, it rather made a lot of sense that he would be and only seemed logical.

Ruby nodded her head before excusing herself and moving away to help another customer. Both Davenport girls merely continued to sit, lost in their thoughts.

"Do you think Mr. Gold is really actually trying to help her?" Daphne asked, her brow furrowed in concern. Lucy merely shrugged her shoulders, finding herself equally concerned; even though she still loved the man, she was more than aware that he was not a nice man, and that he didn't do things out of the goodness of his heart. "What do you think was his price?"

"I don't know Daff, but it's probably steep," Lucy responded with a sigh, running her fingers through her long hair. She wasn't sure why, but the idea that Mr. Gold would hurt Miss Blanchard didn't sit right with her... perhaps because Miss Blanchard was simply so kind and good; it seemed too horrible that someone so _pure_ would be hurt, when she'd never really done anything wrong. Briefly, she wondered if there was anything she could do to help the woman.

"Your hair needs a cut, it's getting nearly as long as Ruby's now. Just an inch or two short of it, I think," Daphne suddenly commented, her gaze caught on her sister's hand which was currently playing with the tips of her black hair, which were nearly frayed.

"What?" Lucy asked distractedly, snapped out of her thoughts before looking down at her hand. Her brain seemed to catch up seconds later as she shook her head. "I'm gonna keep it longer, although I probably could use a trim," Lucy responded absent-mindedly as she frowned down at her hair. She was starting to get split-ends.

"Lucy... I've been meaning to ask you. The Spring Fling Dance is coming up, Mr. Newcastle was wondering if you'd help out," Daphne started tentatively.

"Does that man have to help run every damn school event there is?" Lucy couldn't help asking, snorting in amusement as she shook her head. She already knew where her sister was going with this and she couldn't help shaking her head. "No, Daphne. I don't care what he wants me to do, I'm not helping out again. Wasn't it enough that I sang at the blasted talent show?"

"Come on Lucy! Please! You were so great in the talent show, all you would have to do is sing a couple sets. I'm going to sing some too, and he's even gotten that band that played at the bar to come! It will be fun! And you need a distraction, don't think I haven't noticed that you're still being very moody of late, and you've been completely avoiding Minerva. What's up with that?"

Lucy sighed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Nothing. I just don't feel like being interrogated, like you're doing now," she said, giving her little sister a pointed look and glare.

Daphne sighed, averting her eyes. "I don't know why you have to be so secretive all the time. We're your sisters, you're supposed to trust us, know we'll always be there for you," Daphne muttered, shoving the plate of half-finished food away from her. Lucy groaned, wondering why her little sister had to pull the guilt-trip on her.

"Don't pout, that's not going to get me to help Mr. Newcastle with his new project," Lucy snapped a bit irritably as she motioned to Ruby for the tab. Daphne turned to watch as the brunette nodded before heading over to the register.

"You know... she looks like she did when she and Minnie were.. you know. I think if Min were to see her now... she wouldn't know what hit her," Daphne commented thoughtfully. Lucy tilted her head to the side, and looked at Ruby, not able to help agreeing with her sister. She _did_ have a point; the tiny outfits Ruby used to wear that showed too much skin had never sat well with Minerva.

XX

_King Triton started clapping where he stood leaning against an arched entryway into the training yard. Andrina's green eyes looked up from looking down at the ground, to a guard she'd laid flat in the sand with a spear pointed to his throat. She couldn't help smiling slightly as she removed the spear, allowing the fallen guard to rise, clearly abashed that he had just been beat by a female and a princess to boot. _

"_Daddy," Andrina greeted, tossing the spear at the guard before swimming over to her father, who extended his arms to receive her in a hug. Andrina immediately melted into it, burying her face in her father's long beard, which was soft against her cheek. Opening her eyes, she looked at the black strands, noting that they were slowly beginning to become peppered with silver. _

"_I'm not sure if I should be proud of you, or worried that one of the guard is so easily beaten by one of my daughters," King Triton chuckled, as he moved to hold his daughter at arm's length, his blue eyes taking in his beautiful little girl. _

"_I think if you are concerned about your guard, then you are underestimating me," Andrina replied, smiling at her father, who chuckled once more. _

"_Oh, I would never underestimate you," he replied, wrapping and arm around her shoulder and swimming with her around the training yard, through the halls of the castle at a leisurely pace. "I am concerned, however. Why are you in the training yard, and not at the ball?"_

_Andrina grimaced. They were having a ball at their palace, but Andrina was not in the mood to dance or mingle. Of late, she wasn't in the mood for much other than training, as it helped her work through some of the aggression and anger she was feeling so strongly these days. It was why she had escaped the Grand Hall and come to the training yard. _

"_I don't want a suitor," Andrina replied, not bothering to mention to her father that at this point, it was moot to even attempt to look for one. She'd found her mate... unfortunately she thought it unlikely that they would ever be together. Since that night on the beach, she'd gone back to those shores almost nightly, hoping against her better judgement that he'd be there, but he hadn't returned. It had ached, and pained more than she ever thought anything could hurt. "Besides, it's not really necessary for me to marry, is it? You should be more concerned of Attina, after all, she needs a future King to rule at her side and provide little royals to succeed her. Attina will rule, when you have tired of ruling-"_

"_Or passed," he replied, with a quiet sigh. _

_Andrina furrowed her brow in concern and looked at her father's slightly melancholic, handsome features. "You don't plan to abdicate soon, do you? Or... leave us?"_

_Taking in his daughter's concerned features, he shook his head and placed a kiss on her temple. "No, Andrina. I wouldn't leave you and the rest of your sisters; besides Attina is still too young to rule. And I would first have you and your sisters settled."_

"_Daddy, we don't need a merman to take care of us!" Andrina reprimanded indignantly, causing him to chuckle. A low, warm rumbling sound that came from deep within his broad chest. Andrina didn't like the idea of her father leaving them... she didn't know what she would ever do without him. She'd already lost one parent, and despite being seventeen, the idea of losing her father was completely unacceptable to her. She wouldn't part with him so soon._

"_Oh no, I am quite certain you can take care of yourself and your sisters quite well. However, you know our kind are never complete without our mates, and I would like to see you all find what I had with your mother," he told her, looking at her with shining eyes. Andrina seemed saddened and looked away, her long hair he noted tied in a high bun atop her head, could not cover her heart-broken expression. "Andrina... when the time comes and your sister takes the throne, I want you to command the guard," Triton went on, changing the subject, wishing to distract her from sad thoughts and having meant to have this discussion with her quite some time ago._

_Andrina looked startled by this revelation, more than by the change of subject. "Me? You want me to command the guard? But Attina-"_

"_I am confident when the time comes, Attina will be a great queen. However, Attina does not have your military mind, nor the certain amount of ruthlessness needed for the position. You my dear, have a certain amount of... indifference for the people and a bit of cruelty in you, that your sisters do not, a quality that is necessary for a commander, not to mention a tactical mind. Besides that, you out of all your sisters has the best control of the triton, and the power and strength wield it better. Attina does quite well with it, but it's always been obvious it answers to you best."_

"_But Attina will need the triton to rule as Queen," Andrina commented, still confused as to what her father wanted for them. _

"_And she will have it. But you will wield it as well when necessary. And this at least will ensure your lives are longer. You know that in order us to wield the power of the triton, the price is that years are shaved from our lives each time we use it. Most rulers only have lived up to 150 years, that is half the lifespan of the usual merperson. It is the price we pay for it's power."_

_Andrina nodded. She knew this since she was a little girl. All magic, came with a price. Even those powers those of her bloodline had to be able to use the triton, came with a price. No other could wield the triton. It would not obey anyone else. Even to remove it from it's stand one had to come from her bloodline. _

"_Well, there is time yet to discuss that,"Andrina commented, not wanting to talk about it now. Before Rumpel, the idea that her father trusted and had faith enough in her to put her in charge of the full guard would have thrilled her; now it just looked like another impediment. _

"_Yes-"_

"_Your majesty!" a familiar voice called out, from down the hall. Both royals stopped and turned, at the end of the hall spotting a familiar crustacean, who had once been a merman but for a curse which had reduced him to something so small. King Triton sighed. _

"_Duty calls," he lamented with a small smile, before engulfing his daughter in a hug and placing a kiss on the top of her head. "You know, my little Andrina, I could not have been more proud of you if you'd been born a boy."_

_Andrina smiled fondly as her father moved away. However, her heart still ached horribly. Taking this opportunity, Andrina quickly left the palace for familiar shores. Like that night, the sky was clear and covered in sparkling stars. However, the moon had waned, and only a crescent remained. _

"_Rumpel, where are you?" Andrina found herself asking as her heart constricted in her chest painfully. She was once more flooded with familiar disappointment as she found that once more, he was not there and she wondered why she kept hoping that he would. He'd made it quite clear that night, he did not want to fall in love, he didn't believe in it. Why would he come? _

_Feeling her eyes begin to burn and sting with tears that threatened to fall, Andrina lay in the shallows, staring up at the sky. She felt at least some comfort in the fact that crying when submerged, didn't really feel like crying. Trying to keep her body from racking with the sobs she kept tight hold over, she stared up at the stars. _

_She didn't know how long she lay there, when she saw something in the sky... a large cloud. Furrowing her brow, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared at the ominous cloud overhead. She knew, she could feel it, that that was not just any storm cloud rolling overhead. Turning around, she saw it was coming from the land, and spreading to cover the seas. It rather looked like green smoke, more than a cloud and felt the air becoming charged with magic, causing her to cringe as her heart started to beat rapidly. Something was very wrong. _

**TBC...**

**A/n: **In case it wasn't clear, the storm cloud at the end of this chap was the one that originated form the the Evil Queens curse... when it actually worked. Next chapter, Lucy pays a visit to Mr. Gold!

For anyone interested, I've written a RedSwan one-shot, called Nurse Red. Can check it out on my profile page :)

And did anyone else notice in _An Apple Red As Blood_ ep, when Regina was having her confrontation with Mr. Gold and she asked him about his motives, that behind him were paraphernalia related to shipping? I found that hilarious.

Other than that, please review! Oh, and is anyone interested in being my Beta for this? I'm looking for one and haven't been able to find one. All I need is someone to check on spelling and grammar?


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** Song at the beginning of this chapter is 'Without You' by David Guetta featuring Usher. Just so you know, this chapter takes place some point before "Hat Trick" episode, you know the one with Jefferson.

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Lucy sighed as she stood center stage with a mic in her hand, wondering how the hell Daphne managed to rope her into these things. She huffed impatiently as she glared at her sister, who was bouncing in anticipation as she looked up at her elder sister. Lucy chewed on her lip as she thought about the song that she'd be performing. Considering the fact that they were going to be singing in the school gym, music for the majority of the student body to dance to, most of the music was contemporary; mostly pop and hip hop songs. The fact that made her uncomfortable was that this specific song was actually a love song.

Sighing, Lucy waited for the band that Mr. Newcastle had hired, Siren Song, to finish setting up. Though they were hired to play most of the night, the lead vocalist and some of the band members were going to be given breaks, which would be filled in by students that Mr. Newcastle deemed talented enough to play or sing. Of course what this meant for Lucy and Daphne, was a lot of time spent after school, practicing. The school dance was to take place friday before Spring Break, which would fall on the first week of April.

Lucy couldn't quite understand why their school didn't just opt for a DJ. It would be a hell of a lot less work. Lucy hadn't even planned on attending the stupid event. Now she was roped in, would have to attend, and perform. Sighing, she looked at her red-haired sister, thinking about the lengths she would go to to make her sister happy. Although, that wasn't the whole reason she was doing this. Truth be told, it helped get her mind of other things.

When the guy on keyboards finally started playing, Lucy tensed up for a moment, before relaxing and waiting for her cue. She didn't have to wait long.

"_I can't win, I can't reign, I will never win this game without you, without you," _Lucy began, singing slowly and softly, extending the word you to match the melody of the music. "_I am lost, I am vain, I will never be the same without you, without you," _Lucy sand, her voice very slowly getting louder, pulling the mic a bit farther from her lips. Shutting her eyes, she tried to ignore the way her heart ached, finding the song oddly fitting her emotions as Mr. Gold appeared behind her closed lids.

"_I won't run, I won't fly, I will never make it by without you, without you. I can't rest, I can't fight, all I need is you and I, without you, without you," _she sang, placing, widening her mouth and unconsciously pressing her free hand over her diaphragm as she projected her voice, trying to fill up the auditorium._ "Oh, Oh, Oh. You! You! You! Without You! You! You! Without You!_

"_I can't erase, so I'll take blame, but I can't accept that we're estranged without you, without you," _she sang, once more bringing her tone slightly, a slight sultriness flowing into the words, before preparing her voice to begin to belt the rest._ "I can't quit now, this can't be right, I can't take one more sleepless night without you, without you._

"_I won't soar, I won't climb, If you're not here, I'm paralyzed without you, without you. I can't look, I'm so blind. I lost my heart, I lost my mind without you, without you. Oh, oh, oh. You! You! You! Without You! You! You! Without you!" _she sang, unable to help the tear that leaked from her closed eyes, feeling a little breathless. _"I am lost, I am vain, I will never be the same without you, without you. Without __...you!"_

Opening her eyes, she hastily brushed the tear track form her cheek and looked at her sister who was bouncing and clapping. "Wow, you really have like an amazing voice."

Lucy turned slightly, and found herself looking at the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band, Siren Song. "Thanks," she murmured as her eyes quickly took in the tall slender guy with dirty blonde hair who appeared to be in his early twenties, before turning away.

"I'm Jareth Carlyle," he went on, walking along beside her casually as she made her way off stage and handed the mic to one of the av geeks. Lucy paused and looked at the cute older boy beside her, raising her brow at him.

"Your initials are seriously JC?" she asked, unable to help the snort of amusement.

"Yeah," He grinned a bit bashfully as she chuckled and ran a hand through his short, wavy locks.

"Lucy Davenport," Lucy said, by way of introduction as she continued to walk away. "Nice to meet you, JC," she called as she picked up her bag and left, anxious to get out of there already and avoiding being caught by her sister. She'd been planning a visit to Mr. Gold and she couldn't have Daphne tagging along, could she?

XX

Mr. Gold sat at his desk, he was supposed to be pouring over his ledger, but was finding it difficult to concentrate. His brow contracted as he sat, thinking, going over the previous evening when he'd run into Mayor Mills. That, in and of itself was really not particularly concerning, nor that he'd run into her at an expensive restaurant. However, her present company at the time, had been concerning after he realized who her companion was.

He'd been rather shocked to say the least, at the brunette who looked awfully familiar. It had taken him a few moments to recognize why that was. Despite the shade of blue, her eyes were almost the same shape as Lucy's. The young lady's slender figure, draped in a white shirt and navy-blue pencil skirt, was almost reminiscent of Lucy's... though Lucy's legs seemed longer and more powerful.

Rubbing a hand over his brow, he tried to place her. Thinking back, he thought about the conversation he and Lucy had, when sitting on a log where she had briefly told him about her sisters. Though Regina had neglected to introduce her dinner companion, Mr. Gold was quite sure he knew which she was. She looked to him like the eldest, which form what he recalled, meant she was Minerva.

He didn't understand what Lucy's sister was doing with Regina. From the unhappy look the young woman had bore, and the way she looked at Regina when Regina so rudely neglected to introduce them at all, there was more there than met the eyes. But how would he have missed something so _big_? Had he been so caught up in his own schemes and his longing for Lucy, that he had neglected to play very close attention to what Regina was up to, besides her scheme against Snow?

More importantly, did Lucy know what her sister was up to? Was she not concerned? Or was Minerva Davenport someone he should be concerned about as an ally to Regina.

No, he thought, shaking his head. Lucy wouldn't think so highly and kindly of her sister, if her sister could sympathize too much with Regina. No, he was quite sure that whatever Minerva Davenport was, it was more than likely a pawn for the Mayor. Or simply the Mayor's new plaything, after all, she had lost her boy toy. Or rather, gotten rid of him... but that was Regina for you. If she couldn't have what she wanted, than no one could and he was sure to a woman as morally bankrupt as Regina, that the gender of her play-things was irrelevant. He'd personally always had suspicions of Regina's complicated relationship with Maleficent.

He frowned at this. He didn't know Minerva Davenport, hell he didn't even know her real name, and the truth was that he really didn't care about her one wit; she was a big girl and should be able to look after herself. However, she was Lucy's sister and Lucy cared for nothing more than her sisters. If Lucy knew, she could not be happy with her sister's present situation and if Regina hurt Minerva Davenport in some way, Lucy would stand up for her sister. A prospect that did not sit well with him.

Sighing in frustration, Mr. Gold sat back in his desk-chair and glared at the ledger. He had not made even a dent in his book-keeping. Running his hand through his straight, silken locks of brown hair he let the breath he was holding out in a rush.

He was really starting to miss his magic. Despite the terrible prices one had to pay for it, in a way it did make his existence easier. With all the schemes in his head, the grand game of chess he played with Regina, his fragile and broken relationship with Lucy, not to mention all the everyday things he had to contend with like collecting rent and collateral... it was a lot to deal with. It was almost as maddening as the power he used to contain in his body. One day, he would probably go as batty as Jefferson form trying to keep everything inside his head straight.

The bells over his shop door chiming made him grit his teeth in annoyance. Sitting up, he reached for his cane, plucking it ill-temperedly from where it rested against his desk. However, before he could get up, the sudden appearance of someone at his threshold had his head snapping up. "Lucy?" he breathed, unable to get his shock from registering on his face as he looked at the dark-haired girl before him.

His eyes drank her in like a man dying of thirst in the desert would drink a glass of water after living without it for days. Her hair was longer now, reaching almost down to her hips, and falling in layers of hair as straight as the pin-stripes on his suit, and as silky as the black tie he bore. In the dim light of his office, her eyes were a darker shade of green than the norm, but caught the light enough to sparkle.

Today, her long legs were clad in black tights, and the tutu-like skirt she had worn the first day he met her in Storybrooke. She bore a deep purple shirt with a low neckline which was obscured by the black and purple scarf she bore wrapped around her beck and by the black, button-up sweater she wore. The light of his office glinted of the large nautical buttons of her sweater, which appeared to be made of brass.

"What are you doing?" she asked, almost accusingly as she stepped into the room and stood opposite of him with her arms crossed over her chest as she looked down at him. "Are you really trying to get Miss Blanchard off, or are you simply trying to sink her further?" Lucy asked gruffly. However, her expression was merely watching him in a calculating way as the bow of her lips set in a grim line as if she was hoping for the best, but was preparing herself for the worst outcome.

"If I were to tell you I really am trying to help, would you even believe me?" Mr. Gold huffed, sitting back and steeple-ling his fingers before him. Of course, this was the only reason that she'd come to see him, he thought bitterly. Not to try to fix whatever it was that was wrong between them.

He found the entire situation entirely tiring. However, the girl before him still made his heart race and his pulse quicken by her mere presence. No matter how much he tried to quell it, he couldn't keep his body from reacting to her. His chest tightened at the thought. He needed her, so desperately. He wanted her, with everything he was, and he didn't know how to deal with it. He was nearing his wit's end.

Lucy raked her eyes over him thoughtfully for a moment, while trying to keep her cool facade. However, her heart was thumping too hard in her chest that it was almost painful. Swallowing thickly, she met his murky gaze with her own. "I don't know. That would depend on the reason behind it. If you were to gain something from helping Miss Blanchard, then yes, I could. You are after all an opportunist," Lucy responded slowly, her voice thicker than she would have liked.

Mr. Gold couldn't help flashing her a lopsided smirk. Her brilliant mind always impressed him. The fact that she was so bold to call him an opportunist to his face slightly irked him, but also amused him. The fact that she knew him so well that she knew it made him simultaneously happy and sad. "There _are_ benefits to aiding Miss Blanchard," he conceded slowly, there was no point in lying to her really at this point.

"Are you going to tell me what those are?" Lucy asked, though she knew that she really had no right to ask him. She was a little irritated that she could still not get her heart to stop beating so fast. Her nerves felt slightly frayed. Here she was, confronting the man she loved about something that hardly concerned her at all... after not speaking to him for more than a week, after not seeing him in over a week, despite the fact that she could never get him out of her mind. Despite the fact that he plagued almost every waking moment, and even following her thoughts into her dreams.

"Why do you care so much, my dear?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he regarded her. He almost wished that she wasn't so gorgeous, he felt that that would make things so much easier for him to be more cold and harsh with her, but he couldn't. He just found her so sublime. He was sure that if she so chose to walk all over him, he'd allow it and feel lucky for it. "Isn't it enough to know that I'm doing my best to get Miss Blanchard free; to prove her innocence?"

Lucy gave a slight snort at this. "Of course not. Not if it costs her more in the long-run. What do you get out of this?"

Mr. Gold contemplated the pros and cons of answering her for a moment. If he wanted her to trust him... didn't he have show her some trust in turn? After all, he didn't have to tell her all his reasons. Sitting up, he picked up his cane and stood in one fluid movement. "Well for one... being in the Sheriff's good graces is never a bad thing, especially when considering my recent... legal trouble," he started, walking around his desk so that he stood before Lucy and glossing over the altercation he had with Mr. French. Considering it was still a sore subject, he wasn't sure bringing it up was really a great idea and considering the way Lucy stiffened, he knew it was still too soon. It was after all, an unresolved issue. "Secondly... there is you."

"Me?" Lucy asked, puzzled. Even as her breath hitched to have him so near that she could smell his cologne. It positively made her want to bury her nose in his neck and wrap her arms around his slender form and never have to let go.

Mr. Gold looked up slowly, his eyes meeting hers and holding them. "Yes," he breathed, taking a few, slow steps closer to her so that he was invading her personal space. He couldn't help it, he missed her warmth. He wanted to feel her in his arms again, feel the way she fit with him so perfectly. "To prove to you that I'm capable of more than just... destruction," he commented quietly, his hand reaching absently to feel the silken locks of her hair and tuck them behind her delicate ear and lingering there.

He neglected to mention that it also served to piss off Regina; that it was another step to pushing the savior to realizing her potential and breaking the curse, maybe even bringing back magic. Lucy didn't need to know all that, nor would it help matters in the least. Despite Lucy's sharp mind, she was still under the curse... in a way still asleep. Though he was quite sure, she would be amongst the first to break free of it. The fact that Graham was the first had truly taken him by surprise... but then that probably had more to do with Emma, than from any intellectual prowess on the part of the former Sheriff.

Lucy felt her pulse quicken and her breathing become a bit shallow now he was close enough to touch, close enough that she could feel his breath. Her stomach seemed to flip, as she leaned unconsciously into his touch. Her brain could hardly seem to think about what he had said, and how she should feel about it. "I... that's-" Lucy found herself stumbling over her words, not sure what to say. The gesture was sweet, in a roundabout, unorthodox manner. And his proximity had her body buzzing for his touch.

Mr. Gold's brown eyes moved from her's to her lips as they tried to form words. Her lips raspberry coloring was so enticing. "I miss you, everyday," he admitted suddenly, in a whisper as he leaned his forehead down to rest against her as he closed his eyes to keep himself from being enticed further by her lips. He didn't want to hear what she was about to say, he was sure that she was simply about to refute his claims, or attempt to make a run. He couldn't stand the idea of that. Not when he could smell her clean scent of sea air, flowers and a subtle amount of coconut.

Lucy swallowed thickly as she closed her eyes too. Her hands slid without her conscious thought into the hair at his nape. She twirled the silky locks of his soft brown hair in her fingers. "I can't rest, I can't fight, all I need is you and I," Lucy found herself whispering the lyrics from earlier, opening her eyes slowly to see his eyes fixed on her, the expression in them unfathomable but it made a shiver course down her spine.

Before thinking about what she was doing, she lifted herself on the balls of her feet and brushed her lips against his, her eyes falling shut at his soft lips. A whimper broke free from her throat as she relished at the soft feel of his lips, as she brushed her own against his over and over again. She didn't know how anything in the world could feel so perfect as his lips on hers.

Mr. Gold's cane fell to the floor with a clatter that was ignored by both occupants of the room. With his now free arm, he wrapped it around her small waist and pulled her tightly to him, while his other hand buried itself in her hair, cradling her face. He pressed his lips fervently against hers as his pulse skyrocketed. He moaned as he tasted the seam of her lip with the tip of his tongue.

Her lips may have looked like raspberries but they tasted sweet and tart like strawberries, and tickled his taste buds and sent shivers racing up and down his spine. Nothing had ever tasted more enticing, and when she opened her mouth to moan into his kiss, he slipped his tongue inside her hot little mouth and tasted all he could, devouring her taste.

His desperation for her was so great, he forgot the fact that she was underage, and that they were in his shop and could be discovered if someone came in and came back to his office/storage area to seek him. Instead the world fell away, and he savored every second of her body pressed tightly to his; her warmth radiating off her in waves and engulfing him like flames licking at his skin. He wanted to forever keep the sensation of her silken hair in his rough hands. He wanted to never be parted from her lips, even as the need for air in his lungs seemed to become increasingly paramount.

"I-" Lucy gasped as she parted her lips form his for a moment before he reattached them and voraciously continued to kiss her, unwilling to part so soon as he was. Her mind found it hard to think when he kissed her with so much passion that she literally felt her knees had melted and the only thing holding her up were her hands clenching his thin shoulders. "I-" Lucy attempted once more to speak, trying to pull away despite the protest of her body and soul to simply remain there and drink of him as deeply as he drank from her.

"Lucy," he growled, panting a she pulled his lips from hers only to pepper kisses along her jawline to her neck feverishly, as a the coil of arousal in his lower abdomen tightened. "Please, don't," he pleaded passionately and brokenly. "Don't torment me with your absence anymore," he whispered, burying her face in the crook of her neck, even as she clutched her body to him tighter, breathing her in deeply. "I couldn't bare it," he murmured so lowly into her skin that she would have missed it entirely if he were not so close to her ear.

Lucy felt her heart clench painfully, and her hands gripped him so tightly she was sure it must be at the very least uncomfortable for him. She could feel the tell-tale burning in her eyes as she tried to regain her breathing, and her heart's regular rhythm. She shut her eyes tight, and inhaled deeply, tilting her head back so that she looked up towards the ceiling.

She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. It was like instinct... or perhaps simply her body, had taken over, shutting her mind off and she couldn't understand it. She doubted this man's love for her... she had believed that he loved another, had she not? How could she stand here, and kiss him like he was worthy of everything she wanted to give him when she was unsure if he reciprocated or could ever reciprocate?

However, he sounded so broken in his request. And the man who had now buried his face in her crook felt... vulnerable.

Was that an act? Was he so grand an actor that he could feign vulnerability so well? Or was it real?

It really wasn't the first time that he had shown her a side to her that was tender... and gentle. A side that she was sure no one else saw, or no one living at least. She couldn't really be sure Belinda French had not seen this side of him.

Her heart continued to beat hard as her breathing slowly calmed. She didn't want to think anymore, she found. She couldn't bare being away form either. It hurt too much... and being in his arms, kissing him, running her fingers through his fine hair, it just felt too right that she couldn't see how it could be wrong.

Her instincts... they had never once told her she should be afraid of this man. Sure she was reasonably wary of him, but she'd never feared him. If she trusted him, if her instincts which rarely ever lead her astray, could allow her to trust him in the beginning enough to let him through some of her walls, why should she shut him out now?

"I can't stand to be away from you either... it's a struggle to stay away from you and it's pained me every day," Lucy confessed softly, her throat becoming tight with her fear this confession caused inside her. Lucy had never really felt fear, but allowing him to know this... she knew it was handing him the greatest of weapons. It was admitting a weakness in her armor. He was the weakness... giving him that knowledge was giving him a power over her that she was not comfortable surrendering. But she couldn't fight it anymore, even though she knew he could now crush her underfoot if he so wished.

Mr. Gold sighed, his heart soaring at her words. To know that she felt like him, that his absence hurt her as much as her absence hurt him... there was nothing that could compare at that moment. "Lucy," he whispered reverently, placing a kiss to her delicate, creamy skin. So youthful, firm, perfect and unblemished. Like the petals of a flower, incredibly soft against his lips. He wanted to worship every inch of her skin with his lips.

Pulling away from her wonderful scent so he wouldn't embarrass himself by becoming further and _noticeably_ aroused, he raised his head just enough to look down into her sparkling eyes. His hand in her hair, moved to cup her cheek which was flushed. "I would give everything to never be parted from you," he admitted, almost shyly as he looked down into her green eyes, which were so warm in that moment. The flecks of gold in her eyes seemed to be highlighted, and lit up by the dim light on his desk.

Lucy felt her heart humming in her chest at his admission, which was said in a painfully bashful way on his part, that it was incredibly endearing to her. She had never seen Mr. Gold timid in the least. Discovering this new facet to him, this other layer, made her confidence in him soar. Licking her lips, she couldn't help smiling at him. "That's not necessary, but good to know," she stated cheekily.

Mr. Gold couldn't help chuckling slightly at this. He adored this girl, he thought as he stared deeply down into her eyes. He didn't think he'd ever get over the fact that she actually wanted him in return. As he considered all his life, most especially what it had become after he became the Dark One, a rather unimaginative title he always thought dryly, he didn't know what he'd possibly done to deserve this wonderful girl. He couldn't imagine anything he'd done was ever good enough to merit deserving this mermaid princess.

He sighed as he pressed his lips to her forehead as a frown marred his features. Now that he could breathe again, and despite relishing her presence, he was still tentative to believe that they had made up and his pressing matters were all still there in his mind. With her there, he found himself thinking back to her sister.

Pulling away regretfully, he bent as best he could to pick up his cane, ignoring the throbbing of his leg that suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. "Lucy, there is something I wanted to... discuss with you," he started slowly, walking around his desk to sit down. Standing on his bad leg for some time without the support of his cane, was now biting him in the ass and he needed to remove pressure from it.

"What about?" Lucy asked with a furrowed brow, her stomach twisting nervously as his sudden change in demeanor as she once more stepped closed to his desk while he settled himself behind it. His brows were contracted over his warm brown eyes, which bore a troubled expression. His lips were drawn tightly together, it what almost appeared a pout and despite the nervous knots in her stomach, Lucy felt a sudden desire to kiss the pout away.

"I ran into Mayor Mills last night, having dinner... with your sister, Minerva I believe? From the looks of it, your sister was not particularly happy with the Mayor, and was further displeased when Regina failed to acknowledge her presence in mine and introduce us," he stated quietly, watching Lucy intensely for any signs of surprise, anger... or something.

His eyes raked over her slowly as she stiffened, however, her face remained impassive. Despite the straight line her lips suddenly set in. "Minerva works for my father, and my father hates the Mayor, so he was Minerva deal with her," Lucy said with a cavalier shrug. "It's unfortunate for Minerva to have to tolerate the Mayor, who clearly forgot her manners. I don't see why that merits us discussing it."

Mr. Gold furrowed his brow. "Regina doesn't forget her manners, without intention. I can't see her not introducing someone, unless she is ashamed of them... though I hardly think that was the case, as Regina hardly cares for my opinion on her acquaintances. The only other reason were if she were trying to hide something... from me."

"Are you telling me that the Mayor is afraid of you?" Lucy asked, trying to sound amused and steer the subject away. She had a feeling that Mr. Gold knew exactly what was going on between her sister and the Mayor. However, she would not put in his hands information that could hurt her sister. Besides... Minerva's secret was hers, and she'd never betray that. She'd never put Minerva in the position of being the gossip of the town, or subject her to the ridicule of small-minded people.

"Lucy... what are you trying to hide?" he asked suddenly, ignoring her question. Immediately, he saw the beautiful girl go tense, and her eyes become guarded.

"Nothing."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, that includes using your sisters; I know how important they are to you," Mr. Gold stated, sounding slightly exasperated. "I'm not the one you should be worrying about," he added pointedly.

Lucy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest once more. "That very well may be, but I know what the Mayor is," she said, trailing off as her eyes became unfocused and she furrowed her brow. She'd been too busy avoiding Minerva of late, to avoid questioning on who she loved, that she had forgotten to check in to see how things were going with the Mayor. The fact that Minerva was pissed with the Mayor concerned her. Minerva was no so easily riled to anger.

"Regina is a user, worse than I am. To her nothing is sacred. Not even family," he commented, watching Lucy as she slowly seemed to come back from wherever it was her mind had taken her. She gave him a wry smile.

"And it is to you?"

"Yes," he answered seriously, his eyes hard but open. And for once Lucy believed him, despite some evidence to the contrary.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Well I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter and got there fluff fill. Not sure when the next fluff will be due.

OMG and the season finale... totally epic. Won't say anything more on that right now, because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.

Anyway, please review as always. I don't know if anyone is actually reading this anymore, but for like four people.


	22. Chapter 22

"How are things with the Mayor going?" Lucy asked Minerva when she got home, Mr. Gold's advice still running through her head.

Minerva looked up from the papers she was looking through and raised a brow. "Why the sudden interest?"

Lucy plopped down on the couch and looked over at her sister. She hadn't been particularly subtle with her questioning, but she didn't want to waste time by going around the subject in circles to get what she wanted. However, she didn't really know what to say to that. It wasn't as though she could mention Mr. Gold and the information he had given her and simply telling her sister that she had heard there was trouble in paradise might cause her sister to panic that people in Storybrooke might be catching on. So she merely shrugged.

"I'm your sister, I'm always interested. But I've been busy you know... with the dance," Lucy replied simply with a grimace marring her features as she thought about the Spring Fling, causing her sister to look at her for a moment and tilt her head.

"You know Lucy, you may be able to fool people, but you can't fool me. Besides, you've only just started helping with the entertainment at the dance this week," Minerva responded dryly. "Now if you don't mind, I'm busy," she stated, turning back to her work and clearly dismissing her younger sister, shocking the younger girl.

"Oooh, trouble in paradise, huh?" Lucy asked snidely, not able to help herself. However, when Minerva shot a glare at her, Lucy merely got up. "Well, if you want to talk about it, I'm here," she threw out there, before turning to go thinking that perhaps she should simply ask one of her other sisters about what was bugging Minerva. However, she decided to leave it for another day, not ready to sour her mood after more or less reconciling with Mr. Gold.

XX

"Hey Sheriff," Lucy called brightly as she spotted Emma Swan sitting on a bench, staring absently ahead. However, upon seeing how haggard, pale and drawn the blonde woman appeared, Lucy found herself frowning. "Emma... are you all right?" she asked, carefully approaching the older woman now and sitting on the end of the bench.

"Do you believe in magic?" Emma asked distantly, slowly turning to face the younger girl, her eyes only slowly coming to focus from their far away look. She was so out of it, she hadn't even really realized that she was talking out loud, much less who she was speaking to.

"In a young girl's heart?" Lucy asked, trying to keep a straight face, unable to help herself. She felt in a considerably lighter mood this morning, considering her visit to Mr. Gold the previous afternoon. Though, things were still a bit uncertain between them, she felt at least now they were moving in the right direction and trying to learn to trust each other. A prospect which still scared the crap out of her, considering how much power the man had over her and how much hurt that could potentially cause.

"What?" Emma asked, frowning deeper and completely befuddled. She was operating on absolutely no sleep, and considering she had just been abducted by a man who believed in her son's delusions and could've died if Jefferson had pulled the trigger... it was all a bit much. She couldn't bring herself to think about it, but couldn't stop. His words kept spinning in her head, and she could understand the man's longing... and yet she was afraid of Henry turning out like that.

But then... seeing Grace, she couldn't help asking Henry about his book. And seeing the images there... and what about that scar of Jefferson's neck? She'd never seen anything like it. It was atrocious, and looked like it had once been deep, but how could anyone survive a throat slashing like that? Unless it _were_ magic?

"You know... the song by The Lovin' Spoonfull?" Lucy asked. Emma continued to give her that blank look. "_Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart, how the music can free her whenever it starts and it's magic_?" Lucy sang a few bars, causing Emma's eyes to widen.

"Wow... you have some pipes on you. I didn't know that," Emma commented in her astonishment. Lucy shrugged her shoulders and sat next to the blonde woman who she felt might need someone to talk to considering the fact that she looked dead tired but instead of being home sleeping was sitting on a bench.

"How could you, we barely know each other," Lucy remarked, not unkindly while her green eyes bore into the blond woman, observing her carefully. "So what's with the question? You don't really strike me as the whimsical type."

Emma couldn't help smirking slightly at that and feeling a bit grateful towards Lucy for keeping her grounded suddenly. She felt if she had been left alone any longer with her thoughts, she might lose it completely, and she already felt like she'd gone down the rabbit hole.

"I don't know... long night I guess," Emma replied, running her hand through her hair.

"There's no magic in our world, if you want to know what I think. Love's the closest thing to magic we have," Lucy commented absently, turning to look away towards the waves lapping at the beach. She found it a bit amusing that it would be Emma, Henry's biological mother, with whom she had this sort of conversation with. She wondered perhaps if it was from Emma that Henry got his bit of madness from. However, she shook her head. Emma rather seemed to Lucy the skeptical, practical sort. She couldn't imagine Emma Swan ever believing in magic or fairytales.

_A _real_ world. How arrogant are you to think yours is the only one? There are infinite more. _Jefferson's voice, rung in Emma's head at Lucy's statement. "Our world?" Emma asked. "Do you believe there are others?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders wondering why Emma was asking such a question. It seemed strange to her, and she couldn't help wondering what was on the woman's mind. Was Henry getting worse? Was that where all this was stemming from? Or was she trying to understand him?

"I've never really thought about it... but I don't see why not," Lucy started, carefully. She paused for a moment, and considered the possibility before going on once more deciding to do like Alice and just go with it; she found that at least these bizarre discussions distracted her form her life, not to mention her troubles with Minerva. It seemed that now, instead of her trying to avoid Minerva, Minerva was trying to avoid her.

"I find it hard to believe," Lucy went on, "Considering how large the universe is, that our planet is the only one able to sustain life. To think that we are the only intelligent, living beings in all of existence; seems more than a bit arrogant. So why not other worlds or alternate realities? When I read stories, those are other worlds, and sometimes they feel just as real as this one. Actually more real sometimes."

Emma looked at Lucy, considering the girl's words and wondering if Lucy were mad. She was starting to think Storybrooke bred madness more than any other place in the United States, or that there was something in their water. However, the way Lucy explained her beliefs, the thought process seemed logical enough and it didn't sound as mad as when Jefferson had ranted at her. However, as she considered the dark-haired girl, she found herself wondering about who Lucy Davenport was.

Lucy was a teenager, how did she seem so... mature in her form of thinking? She thought back to the day at the cemetery, and wondered how the girl coped with her grief. Lucy had lost a friend, at a young age, how she could now smile and joke, and keep it all together? And her eyes... the expression in her green eyes... it was like she was much older than she appeared.

If she were to go with Henry's theory... she'd have to believe that it was because Lucy wasn't a teenager. That she had been a teenager over twenty-eight years ago and should now be about forty, were it not for the curse that froze her in time along with the rest of Storybrooke. The idea seemed a bit absurd to Emma now, as she thought about it. The idea that the teenager before her was so much older than her was completely demented.

"Who are you?" Emma asked in wonderment, barely above a whisper as she tried to figure out the girl before her.

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at Emma as a smirk appeared on her face. "Oh, and here I was thinking Henry was the Caterpillar."

"What?" Emma asked, once more thrown completely off; the statement not making any sense to her at all.

"Henry asked me the same thing," Lucy began to explain, with a fond smile when she remembered the first time she'd ever actually spoken to Henry Mills. "I told him he sounded like the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. He told me he couldn't be the Caterpillar, because the Caterpillar was mean, and that I couldn't be Alice because Alice was blonde... perhaps you're Alice."

Emma felt her head spinning. She had just spent the night with a man who believed himself to be the Mad Hatter, and now a girl had randomly brought up Alice in Wonderland... it was all a bit much. However, before she fully freaked out, her mind to seem to catch up to something else. "So you know... about Henry's-" Emma was at a loss for words. She didn't want to call them delusions... especially when they were now making her question her own reality and sanity.

"The fairytale thing? Yes, he mentioned something about that," Lucy responded. Emma ran a hand through her hair, causing Lucy's eyes to focus on her once more. The dark-haired girl sighed as she once more took in the Sheriff's appearance. "I'm sorry about Miss Blanchard, I know she's your roommate and that you must be close. But you know, running yourself into the ground isn't going to help her. You need to rest."

Emma sighed heavily as she nodded her head and ran her hands over her face, the night catching up to her. "I know. You're right kid, but-"

Lucy couldn't help laughing at that causing Emma to turn and look at her with a raised brow. "I'm sorry... I just don't think anyone has ever called me kid. Sometimes I feel like I've been seventeen forever," Lucy commented as she got to her feet, causing Emma's brow to furrow and look up at the slender girl thinking, _no, not forever, only twenty-eight years according to Henry_. "I'll see you around, Emma."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **I know it's been a while since I updated. Inspiration for this story is unfortunately running low. I'm not sure when the next update will be because I have yet to have any idea to what write for the next chapter. Anyway, please review.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** Song Lucy sings at the beginning of this chap is 'Love me Tender' by Elvis Presley.

**A/n: **The latter part of this chapter takes place just after the end of "The Stable Boy" episode.

* * *

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Lucy floated on the surface of the pool, staring up at the ceiling. _"Love me tender, love me sweet. Never let me go. You have made my life complete, and I love you so,"_ she sang as she felt herself drifting around the surface. For once, the pool was devoid of her sisters, and Lucy could enjoy some time there by herself and she felt so amazingly at peace. Closing her eyes, she sighed. "_Love me tender, love me true. All my dreams fulfill, for my darlin' I love you, and I always will._

_"Love me tender, love me long. Take me to your heart. For it's there that I belong, and we'll never part. Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfill. For my darlin' I love you, and I always will. Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine. I'll be yours, through all the years, till the end of time," _she continue to sing, listening to the acoustics of the room, her voice seeming to bounce of the walls despite singing softly but clearly. She hummed the rest of the song, as she paddled delicately in the water, only belatedly becoming aware of the footsteps that echoed in the room and disturbed her humming.

With a sigh, Lucy shut her eyes tighter, willing whoever was in the room away. She didn't want her peace disturbed. She wondered briefly if she merely chose to ignore the other person's presence if they would go away. Her plan was short lived as she finished humming the song and the other occupant spoke.

"That song is almost like a lullaby. Sweet, soft, tender," Minerva spoke softly, causing Lucy to sit up, sinking her legs and stomach under the surface and kicking her legs to remain afloat. Minerva as sitting on one of the recliners, however, she wasn't dressed for swimming. In fact, she was wearing a dress and heels. Raising a brow, Lucy swam over to the pool edge and climbed out. Grabbing a towel, she wrung out her hair before sitting on a recliner next to Minerva and drying off droplets clinging to her body.

"Somehow I doubt you came down here to comment on my singing," Lucy stated dryly, eyeing her elder sister carefully. Minerva appeared troubled. It didn't take long to figure out the reason why. Lucy knew somehow this had to do with the Mayor and probably tied in with what Mr. Gold had told her about the other day.

"No," her sister responded a bit absently, turning on the seat so that she faced her sister, but not quite turning her head to look at her directly yet. "Barring your school talent show, I can't remember the last time I heard you sing," Minerva stated, slowly turning to look at her younger sister. She tilted her head for a moment in thought as she looked at the younger, darker-haired girl. "I don't think I've heard you sing since before mum passed away. Any other time... your voice was lost amongst a sea of other's."

Lucy shrugged, not really sure what to say. Wondering why her sister was becoming all nostalgic all of a sudden. "You shouldn't keep your voice to yourself, Lucy. It's beautiful," Minerva complimented, before an almost mischievous smile came over her face. "I suppose you really must be in love... if he's got you singing."

"Minerva... you're stalling. Obviously you have something on your mind so spit it out," Lucy stated, feeling flustered and exasperated simultaneously, completely ignoring her sister's pervious statement. Minerva sighed.

"All right... I don't know why I'm coming to you of... well everyone. It's a terrible idea, knowing you. But Daph is too young. Adele and Trista don't take anything seriously, Marina can be so hopeless, and Elaine is so wrapped up in her own little world that-" Minerva started ranting, before shaking her head at the pointed look Lucy was giving her. "I know, that is neither here nor there," Minerva sighed. "It's about Regina."

"Obviously," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes as she started as she finished toweling off the rest of herself. She had a feeling this conversation would be a bit of a lengthy one and she figured she probably wouldn't be getting back in the pool anytime soon. And being as it was getting late and a school night, she figured she may as well settle in for a while before heading up straight to bed. "So what has our dear sweet Mayor done to make you all practically a neurotic mess?" Lucy asked archly.

Minerva sighed running a hand through her mahogany locks in frustration. "I don't even really know. I mean... I don't mind the whole secretive thing, obviously. But sometimes she treats me like I'm a child. But that's not the problem. Lately she's just been so... _happy_."

Lucy furrowed a brow. "Why is that a problem? I mean I know for the Mayor to be happy, it must mean something awful for someone, but aren't you supposed to want your partner to be happy?"

"That's just it... you say that like it's a joke. But I can't help feeling the Regina _is_ actually _happy_ because someone is hurting. And by someone, I'm talking about that school teacher," Minerva commented with a sort of pained look on her face as Lucy furrowed her brow wondering why the Mayor would be happy about such a thing. "Since that Kathryn woman's disappearance and the school teacher's arrest, Regina has been _ecstatic_. At first I didn't really think anything of it, but when I started to realize why she was in such a good mood... well it just doesn't sit well with me."

"And how do you know it's Miss Blanchard's arrest that's making her happy?" Lucy asked, not really meaning to play devil's advocate but being genuinely curious.

"Because her eyes sort of... light up if it ever comes up in conversation. I swear it make's her positively giddy," Minerva commented with a shiver of revulsion, her pretty features twisting into a grimace. "If she can take such pleasure in a poor woman's suffering like that... what does that make her?"

"A monster, I told you Minerva-"

"I don't really want to hear an 'I told you so', Lucy!" Minerva groaned, putting her face momentarily in her hands. "Just help me!"

"How? With what? I don't really know what you want me to do," Lucy commented with a frown.

"I don't know how to break things off with her," Minerva admitted in a small voice, slowly looking up into her sister's green eyes. "I mean it's never been official, but she kind of treats me like I'm her property, a possession," Minerva stated, her voice becoming heated and balling her hands into fists at the thought of it. It had never sat well with her, but she'd never paid it much mind as it was usually subtle.

"Minerva you're a big girl, you've broken up with someone before. I don't think this could be any harder than that," Lucy commented, not needing to mention just who exactly she was talking about. Minerva ran a hand through her mahogany locks in response.

"I already tried to... she sort of went bat-shit crazy on me," Minerva responded, causing Lucy's eyes to nearly pop out of her head. Minerva never used foul language and the extremely vernacular phrase sounded so incredibly strange coming out of her sister's mouth. However, she tried not to focus on the word choice and shook her head of the thought of it. They were having a serious conversation after all, and Minerva was looking for her help. "I suppose it's not a great idea of try to break up with someone when they are holding a steak knife."

"Why was she holding a steak knife?" Lucy asked alarmed, her eyes even wider now.

Minerva shrugged, as though it was not really a big deal. "She was making dinner for her and her son. I had dropped by to break things off with her, and she happened to be making dinner at the time," Minerva explained with a wave of her hand. "Although, for a minute I thought she might lose control of the knife and stab me with it. She was ranting and railing while wielding it around wildly."

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering why her sister had to date possibly the craziest bitch in the town. Shaking her head she wondered just what exactly her sister expected her to do. "So what exactly do you want me to do, Min? Break up with her for you? Be your body-guard while you break up with her?"

"Well you coming with me would be a start. It's not like she could make a scene in front of you or anything. But... I don't think that's enough. I'm starting to see she's the vindictive sort... what if she tries to hurt me? Or blackmail our family?" Minerva asked. Lucy ran a hand through her hair.

"All right... look, this is what we'll do. I'll come with you when you break up with her, I'll even threaten her if it's necessary to stay away from you and our family... and if she still tries something... well we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Lucy commented with a sigh as she stood, running a hand through her long, wet hair as she frowned at the prospect of dealing with the Mayor.

Minerva stood and quickly wrapped her arms around her younger sister, letting out a sigh of relief as she held the other girl tightly. "Thank you, Luce," Minerva said, before pulling away and looking a bit more brightly. "We should go tomorrow. After you get out of school, just stop by the office, and we'll head to the Mayor's office together," Minerva instructed.

Lucy raised a brow at this in mild amusement. "You're really want to get this over with soon, don't you?" Lucy asked as they started moving to the exit together. "All right, I'll meet you tomorrow after school. I'll even skip practice for the school dance, just for you."

Minerva scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Like you really need an excuse to skip any of your practices," Minerva commented a bit dryly, though the amusement was apparent in her tone. Lucy merely nudged her sister as they made their way up the stairs, trying not to think about what she had just gotten herself into.

XX

The following morning found Lucy and Daphne in Granny's diner, getting a quick bite before heading into school. Although, Lucy wasn't much in the mood to eat, considering the labor she had in store that afternoon. Cradling her head in her hands, she merely played with her straw in her banana smoothie while Daphne sat across from her, completely oblivious to her surroundings as she poured over the lyrics to a song she had to learn for the dance.

For her part, she considered that she should be doing the same. There were still two songs that she had to memorize the lyrics to, one of which was a duet she had to do with the lead singer of Siren Song, but she doubted that she would be able to concentrate at present. She thought it would be entirely useless to try and do so.

"Hey girlies," Ruby greeted as she bounced over to their table cheerily. Lucy and Daphne both looked up and offered Ruby smiles of different degrees, Lucy's less enthusiastic by far as her mind still revolved around the prospect of her confrontation with the Mayor later. Both offered the willowy brunette greetings. "Your birthday is just around the corner," Ruby commented brightly, nudging Lucy.

Lucy bit on her bottom lip, nodding. She was all too aware of her upcoming birthday, which was in a mere four days, she was counting them down. While only a week ago, or perhaps less than that, the prospect of her birthday filled her with no significant amount of enthusiasm, now it caused her stomach to perform acrobats. While she was mostly thrilled with the prospect of turning eighteen and the illusion of freedom it afforded, she was also partly nervous. Though, she wasn't sure why and thought it was rather silly to feel nervous.

"I know," Lucy commented.

"Well, what are we doing for it?" Ruby questioned. Lucy shrugged, having not payed it much thought. She knew of course that they'd be going out to diner at a fancy restaurant, just her sisters, father and of course Christian who was considered part of the family. However, apart from that she had no other plans. She didn't really think she was in the mood to go out dancing, and while going to the bar and watching Siren Song perform had been fun and interesting, after practicing with them so much during the week, she didn't think she was in the mood.

"I don't know, I'm not really sure if there is anything I'm looking forward to doing," Lucy responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "Although, I need to get a dress for the Spring Fling at school, and perhaps a new outfit to wear for my birthday," Lucy replied, as the two events were almost a week apart, if that and she really had nothing she wanted to wear for the dance.

"Ooh shopping!" Daphne exclaimed excitedly. "I want to go too, I want something new to wear for the dance, we can go today after practice! Do you want to come, we can always do with more than one opinion," Daphne said, turning to look at Ruby who looked ready to acquiesce.

"I can't today," Lucy interrupted, before the other two girls could get far ahead of themselves. Both girls turned to look at her with disappointed and almost accusatory looks, like she was spoiling their fun on purpose. "I have something to do today after school and I don't know how long it will take."

"What are you doing? Are you skipping practice?" Daphne asked, her brow furrowing as she looked at her sister with suspicious eyes. Lucy suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, thinking that Daphne probably thought that she was skipping practice for no reason. Not that it wasn't farfetched for her to do so, as she'd skipped out on practice for things plenty of times in the past. However, this time she was skipping for a legitimate reason.

"Yes, but like I said, I have something to do. Maybe tomorrow?" Lucy suggested, turning her attention to her smoothie and draining it, to keep her mouth busy so that she didn't have to answer the questions she was sure to come.

"Or we could go after you're done with whatever you are doing. We'll just wait for you here," Ruby suggested. Lucy sighed, but agreed even though she didn't know how long she was going to take at the Mayor's. However, how long could breaking up with someone really take? "Great, so Daph, just come here after your practice and we'll wait for Lucy. Or if she's done before you are, she'll come here and we'll wait for you. Kay?"

"Sounds great," Daphne smiled brightly. Lucy shook her head, wondering what it was about girl's and shopping. However, she couldn't help smiling at the fact that her sister and Ruby were in such high spirits. It almost made her forget about the unpleasantness she was sure to face.

XX

As Lucy and Minerva made their way towards the door of the Mayor's office, Lucy wiped her palms off on her skinny jeans. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a bit nervous. She'd never really broken up with anyone before and while personally she sometimes felt like strangling the Mayor, she had to admit that the woman was certainly a force to be reckoned with. If she didn't find the woman so insufferably arrogant and haughty, she'd almost feel respect.

"Ready?" Minerva asked as they reached the handle. Lucy took a moment to compose herself and steel her nerves. Straightening her dark purple, pleather jacket, she turned to her sister and nodded her head, taking a deep and steadying breath as the same time as her older sister. "Here goes nothing," Minerva murmured under breath as she opened the door and stepped inside.

Lucy followed behind her, shortly after, her combat boots clicking heavily on the floor. Regina was in the middle of greeting Minerva, but stopped as she noticed Lucy step in and close the door behind herself.

From the moment she stepped in the room, Lucy and Regina locked eyes with one another. The smile on Regina's face had frozen, and twisted a bit into a corner so that it was becoming what was almost a snarl. However, she managed to catch it as she tilted her head and moved very cold and calculating eyes to the elder Davenport girl. "I see you've brought company. Lucille, was it?" Regina asked, a sneer in place as she turned to the younger girl.

Lucy scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She could see what Regina was doing, trying to get her to rise to the bait. However, Lucy wasn't going to deign that poor attempt at an insult with a response. "Lucy, this is my younger sister, _Lucy_," Minerva corrected, drawing the Mayor's dark brown eyes back to herself.

"Right, Lucy," Regina stated, with a falsely sweet and apologetic eyes as she momentarily flitted them to Lucy before looking back to Minerva. "And what can I do for you, my dear? As you know I'm very busy-"

Her use of the term, my dear, almost made Lucy cringe. She wasn't sure why, but the fact that she and Mr. Gold used the same endearments rubbed her the wrong way.

"I don't think-" Minerva was starting, her voice softer than Lucy had ever heard it. Lucy sighed, shaking her head.

"What my sister means to say is that it's over," Lucy interrupted. While she didn't know anything about breaking up, as she'd never had any personal experience in that area, somehow she doubted that saying things like 'I think' was a good way to start. It led the other person to think that you were doubtful on whether or not you really wanted to end things, making it only too easy for them to talk their way out of it.

Regina's face for a moment contorted. Rage seemed to flash behind her eyes, however, she somehow managed to restrain her expression so that only the barest of pursing of the lips was noticeable. After a moment, her pinched expression relaxed slightly as she turned to look at Minerva, with a slight sneer. "Is your little sister your mouth piece, dearie? It's a bit juvenile, don't you think?"

Lucy noticed out of the corner of her eye, a shiver run through her sister. However, the way Minerva set her mouth in a straight line and the way her fists momentarily clenched gave away the fact that it was not out of fear. Minerva had never liked to be made feel like she was young or more immature than she was, it was a huge peeve of hers.

"My sister's presence is a mere precautionary measure, in case you carry your steak knife with you," Minerva replied cuttingly, her voice having gone hard and ice cold, though still remaining its dignified air. Lucy couldn't help feeling proud of her big sister. She knew Minerva had a rigid backbone when she wanted. She couldn't help the satisfaction she felt either at the way the Mayor's nostril's flared at this. "I would like for us to at least part on civil terms, like civilized, mature and rational people. We are simply not as compatible as I believed and it is for the best if we part ways."

Lucy couldn't help think that this was perhaps Minerva's way of saying,_ 'It's not me, Its you. Definitely you!'_ and had to keep herself form laughing out loud. Somehow, she didn't think it was appropriate, considering how murderous the mayor look as she got up from where she sat behind her chair.

"And you really think that it was appropriate to bring this matter to my work, and provide an audience to humiliate me? This is what mature people do?" the Mayor asked rhetorically as she walked around her desk and came to a stop before Minerva. If looks could kill, Lucy had no doubt that the Mayor was trying to flay Minerva alive where she stood. Feeling her protective instinct step in, Lucy placed herself between her sister and the Mayor and glared into the woman's eyes.

"It is the most rational thing to do considering your past actions. Your work place provided a more controlled environment and having me here ensures you don't try to stab her with a letter opener," Lucy sneered. She took a few steps closer to the older woman, invading her space as the woman refused to be intimidated into taking a few steps back. However, that was no matter to Lucy as she stepped closer to the older woman and looked directly into her eyes, her face mere inches from the older woman's. "And I suggest you let the matter drop here, and do not harass my sister or anyone else in my family because the moment I hear about it, the first thing I'll do in retaliation is finish what Sheriff Swan started with your apple tree," she whispered, into the older woman's ear as she tilted her head to the side and backing away with a smile that was almost sinister and sent a shiver down the mayor's spine.

XX

Later that night, Lucy lay in bed, feeling rather restless as she thought about her eventful day.

After their visit to the mayor, Minerva insisted on accompanying Lucy wherever it was that she was going. Lucy felt that this may lead to a very awkward situation due to Ruby's presence, but she sensed that Minerva didn't want to be left alone and didn't have the heart to exclude her from dress shopping as she knew that it would help Minerva get her mind off things. She even harbored a hope that if her eldest sister spent time with Ruby, that perhaps the two could work out their issues and let themselves be happy again.

Upon arriving at the diner, with a very apprehensive and slightly nervous Minerva, Lucy was surprised to see a visibly shaken Ruby slumped at one of the tables. Her eyes were unfocused and staring at her lap and she seemed to be having some trouble with breathing. Immediately, she felt concerned for the older girl and Minerva, despite the many emotions vying for supremacy, it seemed concern for the Ruby had won out.

Immediately both Davenport girl's were at Ruby's side. Lucy was surprised, and yet couldn't help but be pleased when she saw Minerva draw Ruby into a hug and gently stroke the yet sitting girls back a she tried to sooth her. Ruby subconsciously seemed to melt into Minerva's embrace and hold the standing girl tightly as she brokenly tried to explained to them what had occurred.

By the time that Daphne had arrived, Ruby had visibly calmed and was somewhat bashfully pulling away from Minerva. Before awkwardness could settle in between the two, Lucy suggested that they all head out. Minerva seemed reluctant to intrude, but Daphne, Lucy and even Ruby managed to convince her that her presence would not be unwanted.

Lucy had fun during the outing, and couldn't help smiling every time she caught Ruby and Minerva blush and look away form one another when they were caught giving the other longing stares. She found it entirely too cute and she hoped that their afternoon together, perhaps the first that they had spent together since they had broken up, would help bridge the chasm that interceded itself between them.

However, as she tossed and turned in bed, she couldn't help thinking about Mr. Gold. She desperately desired to see him now after having a spend several hours watching two people who clearly loved each other looking almost constantly at one another with so much yearning. She expected now that the missing woman had been found, that he might be less busy as it seemed pretty unnecessary to defend Miss Blanchard, and might be able to visit him.

However, it seemed rather unlikely with her birthday and the Spring Fling coming up so quickly. She simply didn't have the time to sneak away to seek him out. She sighed, hoping she'd be able to see him soon, as her heart physically ached when parted from him, and she couldn't stop thinking of their kiss. Her body seemed to heat form within at the mere memory of it, and she wanted more. So much more.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, I hope that it's up to parr with the one's before. As I've stated before, inspiration for this has run a bit dry, and updating is difficult because I didn't have internet and just got it back. However, I refuse to give up. So I'll continue to write, and I hope anyone still reading this will please review, they do sort of serve as encouragement, or let me know if theres something you would like to see, or you think my writings needs some improvement. So please review and I will try not to make the next update take so long.


	24. Chapter 24

Three more days, Lucy thought to herself as she made her way down the street, her heavy boots clicking against the pavement. She felt a flutter of nervous excitement coursing through her veins as she approached her destination. However, just as she came to the door, it opened and Henry Mills stepped out. Lucy felt her eyes widen.

"Hi Lucy," he smiled brightly up at her as he hoisted his bag carefully on his back, while handling a boxed item.

"Hey Henry, what you got there little man?" Lucy asked the precocious little boy she had grown rather fond of. Henry finished adjusting his bag as he held on tightly to his box, which she was sure jingled as he moved. She felt her brow furrow slightly as she wondered if she had heard what she thought was a clink of possibly metal on metal, or if was just her imagination as she stared down at the younger boy.

"It's a present for Miss Blanchard. You know, because she didn't kill that woman?" Henry explained. Lucy nodded thoughtfully at this, her mind temporarily distracted as she recalled the previous day and how Ruby had told them that she had found Kathryn Nolan behind the diner and how freaked out she had been. "What are you doing here?" Henry asked, bringing Lucy back out of her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm just going to Granny's for a bite to eat," Lucy responded after a moment. In truth, she was hoping to stop in Mr. Gold's, but she couldn't well do that with Henry there. She didn't need curious little Henry to be wondering what she wanted with Mr. Gold.

"Oh, me too. I'm hungry!" Henry stated. Lucy smiled. She felt a little disappointed, but she hoped that perhaps afterwards that she would be able to see Mr. Gold.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go, before you waste away here due to lack of nourishment," Lucy teased, earning herself a grin from Henry. Pulling the hood of her sweater up as it had tugged somewhat back and exposed the front part of her hairline, she and Henry set out across the street as it drizzled down on them. Lucy didn't comment on the fact that Henry was carrying a backpack, which she found somewhat odd as it was the weekend.

It wasn't long before they made it to Granny's and stepped inside, both of them pulling down their hoods. Together, they found themselves a table and were immediately attended by Ruby. Lucy was rather amused as Henry ordered, and shook her head, thinking that growing boys had stomach's like bottomless pits.

She pulled off her purple jacket and her black hoody and set them both in the empty seat at the booth next to her, just as Henry had removed his bag and coat as well. She shook out her head as Ruby turned her attention to her and ordered, while giving Ruby a smile, noting that once more the girl was dressed more conservatively than she used to.

While they awaited for their late breakfast, or early lunch, depending on how you looked at it, Henry stashed away his gift for Miss Blanchard and pulled a rather large book from his book-bag. "Maybe you could help me, you're really smart," Henry commented as he pushed the book across the table. Lucy looked at him questioning for a moment as she read the title of the leather bound book.

_Once Upon A Time_, was written across the front in fancy block type. It wasn't difficult with the title to infer that it was a book of fairytales, and from there to make the intuitive leap that perhaps Henry was talking about his … _theory_. "Help how?" Lucy asked, not having the heart to tell the little lonely boy with great big brown eyes that it was absurd to believe in fairytales.

"Figure out who people are," Henry replied, his voice going into a stage whisper that Lucy found amusing.

Lucy nodded slowly at this. "Who have you figured out?" Lucy asked curiously.

"My mom is the Evil Queen from Snow White. Miss Blanchard is Snow White and Mr. Nolan is her Prince Charming. Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood and Archie is Jiminy Cricket to name a few," Henry told her, in the same confidential voice. Lucy couldn't help becoming increasingly amused, however, she tried to keep herself from smiling. She wasn't necessarily laughing at Henry, and she didn't want him to believe she was.

"I guess I can see that," Lucy replied, looking over at where Ruby stood. The girl her sister loved, really did have a great fondness for the color red, and she lived with her grandmother and had been for the most part raised by the older woman. And as she thought of Dr. Hopper, she supposed she could see how he would be a conscience. And he did have that umbrella he seemed to take everywhere.

"Have you figured out who I am?" Lucy asked, not able to help her curiosity to see what Henry would make of her. Personally, Lucy couldn't see herself belonging in a fairytale. At least, not any she could think of.

"I'm not sure yet, but I have a theory. I think your sister is Ariel, you know, the little mermaid? And you are one of her sisters, she has a lot," Henry replied. Lucy furrowed her brow at this as her heart rate seemed to steadily pick up pace.

_Daphne does have red hair, and we all do love to sing. And I for one, feel a lot more comfortable in and under water than I do anywhere else, _Lucy thought to herself. However, she shook her head, thinking that it all had to be merely coincidence. Thinking otherwise seemed to be just insane. However, as much as she felt that it was impossible and she was just supposed to be humoring the young boy, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that there might be something to Henry's theory. A strong niggling in the back of her mind and would not relinquish its small hold on her mind.

Especially when she took into consideration the dreams she had told Dr. Hopper about, or when she took into consideration that sometimes, when she was coming to from sleep, she had bleary and sleepy delusions that she was someone else. It was a strong conviction in the dead hours of the morning, while it was still dark out, that her name really wasn't Lucy, and that she felt as though she were in the wrong body and place, and she was actually royalty.

Lucy shook her head firmly, telling herself that these delusions were just part of some kind of sleep paralysis. Or brought on by the fact that at the time, she was still half-asleep.

Taking the book, Lucy opened it unconsciously and started flipping carefully through it. It wasn't long after, that their food was brought over to them. However, she hardly took notice of it, or of Henry digging into his food. Instead, she found herself caught up in looking through Henry's fairytale book. Every now and then, she pointed to someone and asked Henry who it was.

"Who is this?" Lucy asked, pointing to a figure that seemed vaguely familiar to her, though she didn't know why. The way the illustrations were painted, they seemed somewhat blurry or flat so that details were hard to notice.

The picture Lucy pointed at, had a girl with red hair, sitting on what looked like to be a dock, and she had her head previously been buried in her arms and she was now looking up at a figure who stood over her almost menacingly. The man seemed to have olive-colored skin that almost seemed a bit green and brown scraggly hair that seemed to reach just past his chin.

"I don't know, he's mentioned sometimes as the Dark One. He's making a deal with the little mermaid there," Henry explained through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "He makes deals with others in the book too... they never turn out well for the other person."

Lucy looked at the figure thoughtfully for a moment, thinking that it vaguely reminded her of something. "He sounds like Rumpelstiltskin."

"Who?" Henry asked. Lucy looked up and noticed that Henry had his head tilted to the side and looked confused as he gazed at her.

"You've never heard about Rumpelstiltskin?" Lucy asked with her face screwed up in mild disbelief. While she knew that nowadays most children weren't really into reading fairytales or outgrew them while still very little, she figure that Henry of all people would know about Rumpelstiltskin. After all, hadn't there been a new Shrek movie with him as the villain?

Henry merely shook his head in response as he continued to shovel food voraciously in his mouth. Lucy shook her head, still unable to believe the boy. Closing the book gingerly, she pulled her food closer to her and started to tell Henry the tale of the Miller's Daughter.

By the time that she was done telling Henry the tale, they were both just finishing their food. Henry paid such rapt attention, that he hardly seemed to have eyes for anything else. "So... how does that remind you of Rumpelstiltskin?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "There are other versions in which Rumpelstiltskin is known for making deals. Deals which don't often turn out as the person had hoped, usually being tricked by Rumpelstiltskin's wording, or because they agreed to something they didn't quite understand or thought they could pay. He never did anything for free."

"So... he's a bad person?" Henry asked. Lucy looked thoughtfully at this.

"Not necessarily. The same can be said about genies... I think. It's why there's that expression, be careful what you wish for, because you don't really know what you're asking for," Lucy explained. "Maybe Rumpelstiltskin is an anti-hero."

"What's an anti-hero?" Henry asked, his brow furrowed in mild confusion as he tilted his head questioningly at her. Lucy wondered how to explain the concept to a child.

"Have you read the Harry Potter books?" Lucy asked after a moment of thought, thinking that the easiest way was to provide an example. Henry nodded his head, to which Lucy smiled. "Well then, Snape is your classic anti-hero. He's a person that seems like the bad guy, because he's scary and unpleasant and no one likes him, and he has no real problems doing bad things. But in the end of it all, despite his selfish reasons and all their manipulations, they are working towards the greater good. Even if that means hurting or killing some people along the way."

Henry frowned at this, however, they were both deeply engrossed in their present conversation. Neither one noted as they finished up the figure that was fast approaching them.

"Henry!" called a very irate, regal, sultry voice. Lucy and Henry both looked up at the same time, to see the mayor approaching them. As she spotted Lucy, who tensed slightly at the approaching angry woman, her eyes seemed to narrow and her nostrils almost seemed to flare. "What are you doing here?" she asked, barely containing the venom as she stood over Henry and Lucy's table. Lucy chose to ignore the way that Henry seemed to have snatched up his book and put it away quickly.

"I'm eating, what does it look like I'm doing, Mayor Mills?" Lucy retorted with a huff.

"Henry, let's go, this is hardly the company I want you keeping," Regina stated coldly, turning her gaze to her son. Henry, seeming to note his mother's mood was quick to get up and do as he was told. It was only after they were gone that Lucy noted that she was left with the bill. Sighing, she pushed away her mostly empty food plates and started to put on her sweater and jacket.

"Geeze, I wonder what crawled up her butt," Ruby stated as she walked over. Lucy dug around her pockets for money, hoping she had enough. Vaguely, she wondered if Regina's problem stemmed from being dumped by Minerva, or if it was something else.

XX

Two more days.

He'd been counting down the days to Lucy's eighteenth birthday, and now there were just two more days. And after the last couple days he'd been having, he felt rather unprepared for it.

Sitting back in his office at home, he stared at the dagger in his hands. It was perhaps the most powerful reminder of his painful past, apart from the chipped tea cup.

He'd buried it for safekeeping, and because it was too painful a reminder of what he was, what he'd lost. And tonight, he'd dug it all up, all because of one August W. Booth pretending to be his son. Raking up painful memories; memories of his failure to keep a promise, his failure as a father... and his failure as a man.

Running his fingers over the sharp edges, he stared at his name engraved on the blade. So long as they were in this realm, the dagger was useless. It really had no purpose, he didn't really have to keep it hidden. However, the curse was weakening. And he knew precisely how to bring magic back once it was broken... and he needed the curse broken. He was becoming more sure of that by the day.

Lucy had found him. And even in this world, she was drawn to him and he to her. If the curse were broken... they'd have the chance to be happy. Without the curse breaking... even if they were to get together, they'd fall apart time and time again, because that was the entire purpose of the curse. No one could be happy, not truly.

However, at the moment he couldn't bring himself to be near her. Not with the pain of Pinocchio's deception so close. He feared lashing out at her. His rage was too close to the surface, he could have killed that man tonight in the woods and barely contained himself... and only then it was because if August could convince Emma, than he could keep his mermaid princess.

Putting down the dagger on the top of his desk, he ran his hands over the lower half of his face. _Now what is my next step with Lucy? _He wondered, hoping that this might help lighten his mood. Somehow his elaborate schemes for dominion seemed easier, than wooing the woman he loved.

He had no idea what he was supposed to do, or how to make grand gestures, when they were supposed to be discreet. He couldn't exactly ask her on a date, could he? Not when he was who he was, and not when he knew Regina was on the warpath. Besides, despite the fact that she would soon be a legal adult in this world, the age difference between them was still a rather large one and they would be severely frowned upon. And Lucy had friends, and family... he didn't want to cost her all her other connections just because she had the misfortune to be in love with him.

Running his fingers through his hair, he sat back and heaved a heavy sigh. All those matters aside, he wasn't sure what his next move with her should be either. He wasn't sure what would be deemed appropriate, and what would be moving too fast.

In this world, falling in love at first sight was... well the thing of fairytales. It was sneered down upon and thought of as foolishly romantic. Courtship in this world could take years, and proposals within the first year of knowing a person were usually looked at as insane or flights of fancy.

In their world, a world only Regina, Jefferson, _August_ and himself remembered, you could meet one person and fall in love instantly. You could marry that same person by the week's end, and no one would think anything of it. That was simply the way things went. It was almost the norm.

As it was, he wanted nothing more than to be able to propose to Lucy the minute that she turned eighteen. However, with a frown, he thought that perhaps that might scare her. Lucy was a rather... _realistic_ girl, and in this reality, being proposed to without ever even going on a first date was completely absurd.

Proposing at this time, was out of the question. However, whatever grand gesture he chose, it had to be special.

XX

Lucy sat in the living room, staring at the screen almost unseeingly. She wasn't sure what it was, she thought perhaps it was Henry's conversation lingering in her head from a couple days ago, but she had this urge to watch Disney movies. And not just any Disney movies, but the iconic classics like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and The Beast.

Presently, she was watching Beauty and the Beast, curled up on the couch and hugging a pillow to her chest. Her sisters had teased her when they had spotted her sitting before the dvd player and popping in Disney films, but had for the most part left her alone when they noticed she merely ignore them. Although, Trista and Adele had joined for a couple, before they got bored and headed who knows where.

It was now nearing midnight, and Lucy was still fascinated watching the films and going over the conversation she had with Henry. She was so caught up in her thoughts, that she hardly noticed when her father appeared in the room. "Aren't you a little too old for these?" she heard his deep voice call softly into the darkened room. Lucy pulled her eyes away slowly and looked at her father where he stood at the entrance, still wearing a suit and looking very much tired. However, a rare smile was on his lips as he looked at her.

Lucy couldn't help returning the smile. Noticing the clock over the mantle, she noticed that in a mere quarter of an hour, she would be eighteen. "Maybe I'm just saying goodbye to my childhood," Lucy replied, ignoring the fact that she had spent the last couple days looking at the town's people of Storybrooke and wondering if they were fairytale characters, who they would be.

Her father chuckled softly. "Not matter how old you or your sisters grow, you will always be my little princesses."

**TBC..**

**A/n:** Sorry about the short chapter. In cast it wasn't clear, this chap takes place during "The Return" ep.

**Ifitch86 **and **Opera123**, thank you for your reviews, I'm glad someone is still reading this despite the long wait.

**Glitter4Ever** I'm glad that updates from this story make your day. Hopefully the next update wont be so long. As for your question about Christian, I might add some of his history, but not sure yet... suppose we will see if it fits in somewhere.

As always, please review! Don't make me hold chapters hostage for reviews. :P


	25. Chapter 25: The Only Exception

It was D-day.

Due to the fact that it was her birthday, Lucy was far too giddy inside to force herself into a tediously long practice for the school dance. Not really caring that it was a mere week away, she took off as soon as her last class was finished, not even bothering to stop by her locker and drop off her things. Being as she already had her sweater and purple jacket, she was good to go. She didn't even care about the fact that she was carrying her violin case with her. She wasn't about to risk running into Daphne at her locker just because she wanted to drop it off.

Quickly escaping school property, she bound her way to the heart of town. She had one objective in mind, and she'd be damned if anything got in her way.

It wasn't horribly long before she had made it to her destination and snuck quickly inside Mr. Gold's pawn shop. Reasonably pleased when she peaked around and noticed that there was no one there, she closed the door and locked it, while flipping the sign on his window. It was presumptuous on her part to do so, but she didn't care. She wanted to be alone with the man she loved, and she wasn't going to risk interruption.

She turned, just in time to see Mr. Gold appear from beyond the curtain that hid the back part of his shop. She beamed at him, even as nervous flutters erupted inside her stomach while a small smile made its way onto his lips.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise," he stated, his scottish brogue washing over her and sending shivers down her spine. Lucy didn't respond as she quickly she made her way over to where he stood, and he was delighted to note the little spring in her step. She seemed more cheerful than he recalled ever seeing her before, and for a moment he wondered if it was simply because it was her birthday, or if it were something more.

"I came for my birthday kiss," she replied as she stood before him, her hands folded in front of her and holding onto her violin case as she looked up at him expectantly. Mr. Gold couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, or the way he looked down at her with soft, tender eyes. He found her... bubbly-ness extremely cute.

"Did you now? And whom precisely is privileged enough to deserve such an honor?" he asked, his mouth becoming that lopsided, wolfish smirk she loved so much as he teased her.

Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment as she turned to her side. She crossed one arm, holding onto her violin case across her chest, while her other arm propped up against her chin. "Hmmm... well surely if he has to ask, than I must rethink my choice of candidate and find someone more worthy," Lucy replied, in mock disappointment.

Mr. Gold couldn't help chuckling. Gabbing hold of her hips, he pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her jaw, where it connected with her neck. Immediately, Lucy straightened and bit on her bottom lip as heat coursed down her neck and little shocks tingled a trail down to her core.

"Was it there, you desired your birthday kiss?" he asked, his voice lowered. "Or perhaps, here?" he asked, now moving his lips to her pulse point, relishing in the feel of her body in his arms, and how she seemed to melt into him, even as she stood sideways against him.

"Hmmm, you're getting colder," Lucy replied, her voice caught as he placed another kiss, this time on her cheek. "Warmer," Lucy smiled, as he reached with one of his hands to tilt her face towards him. This time, he placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Hotter," Lucy stated, her eyes fluttering closed in anticipation as his mouth moved over hers and she could feel his breath on her lips.

When their lips met, Lucy dropped her violin case unceremoniously and reached with her hands, entangling them in his hair as she pressed her lips to his more urgently. She was glad to note his hands grip her more tightly, and pulling her impossibly closer to him. As she relished the soft feel of his lips against hers, moving together sensually and passionately, she couldn't help sighing in contentment.

She had missed him so much. She couldn't believe that being parted from someone could feel so painful and yet hollow. As their lips continued to move against one another's, Lucy's tongue eventually venturing to taste his lips and then slipping into the cavern of his mouth, Lucy felt the heat between them increase impossibly. Without any conscious though, she felt her body moving against him, pressing closer to him and mewling at his attentions.

The air seemed to become charged and she felt something in the air shift as her mind became completely blank. She could feel his pelvis pressed tightly against her and when she'd turned to be able to kiss him more fully, one of her legs had wedged itself between his. As she continued to flick his tongue teasingly with her own, Mr. Gold moaned. Reflexively Lucy felt her hips buck into Mr. Gold's. Her center pressed against his leg, sending jolts of pleasure shooting through her, causing her to moan at the delicious feeling.

Suddenly, Lucy felt she needed more. Merely kissing him did not seem enough. However, as she started to move her center against him, attempting to gain more friction, she felt his hold on her hips become impossibly tight as he firmly tried to disengage himself. Opening her eyes languidly, due to the sudden heaviness of her eyelids, she looked up into his eyes questioningly. She was sure her cheeks were flushed from the heat of their kiss, and noted the faintest tinge of pink on his own, slightly tan skin.

Mr. Gold scrambled in his mind for an explication for his sudden end of their kiss. One that would not wound her. Mr. Gold smiled finally after a few second of consideration, before leaning down to place a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Happy Birthday, dear-heart," he whispered, placing another kiss on her forehead. Lucy closer her eyes, and relished in the feel of his tenderness though a part of her felt inexplicably disappointment about the fact that he so suddenly put an end to their kiss, and that there were now a couple inches between their body.

For a moment, they both panted, before Lucy finally looked up into his sparkling brown eyes which were trained on her. She smiled slowly at him, even as her heart clenched at the thought of having to leave him soon. Somehow, the idea of spending this day of all days away from him, seemed unbearable.

"I've got something for you," he said suddenly, pulling away from her as a look of surprise and mild confusion spread across her face. Lucy watched intently as he turned away from her, grabbing his cane where it had leant against a counter. Lucy furrow her brow as she watched him pick something out from beneath his counter and set it atop the glass a moment later.

"A birthday present?" Lucy asked uncertainly as she stared at the heavy, beautiful, wooden box he had set on the counter.

"Not exactly," he replied enigmatically as he walked around the counter so that he stood next to her. "Close your eyes."

Lucy regarded him for a moment suspiciously, but after a second did as she was told. Though so much about Mr. Gold made her feel uncertain, and though she knew that he was a difficult man to trust, she knew that if she had any hope for them to work, that she had to learn to trust him.

Vaguely, she heard the click of a box opening. A moment later, her breath hitched as she felt Mr. Gold's fingers brushing her hair to one side, his fingers ghosting over the skin at the back of her neck and shoulders. A few seconds later, she felt a weight settle around her neck. Furrowing her brow, she reached a hand and touched the pendant she felt settling on her sternum, just beneath her collarbone and felt a familiar, cool stone.

Her breath hitched,and her heart skipped a beat as her eyes snapped open. Looking down, she caught sight of a familiar purple gem, surrounded by little diamonds. Turning around swiftly, she looked at Mr. Gold with wide eyes uncertain why he was doing this, but knowing that as much as she wanted, the gesture touched a part of her heart. "Why- I... this was payment, it's not-"

Mr. Gold leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Lucy's eyes fell shut automatically and opened almost immediately as the kiss was a chaste one. "It belongs to your Lucy," Mr. Gold replied, looking down shyly as he thought, _Just like my heart_.

XX

Lucy sat, staring into her vanity mirror with a far off look. Her hair, which now fell to her waist, lay lose in curls, thanks to her sister Trista. Her fingers absently touched the amethyst necklace Mr. Gold had returned to her... evidence that she meant more to him than at least one of his deals.

"You okay?" Trista asked as she finished gathering up her things so that she could take them back to her own room. Lucy slowly let her eyes focus on the mirror before her and looked back at her sister with bleached blonde hair. Lucy nodded absently, as she turned her attention back to her reflection. She was dressed in her signature purple, silk dress with off the shoulder sleeves and a black ribbon which tied at the waist, the hem falling nearly to her knees.

She looked back at her sister as she considered her question once more. Though it was her birthday, and she was in love, somehow she still felt incomplete. She kept turning the matter over and over in her mind and knew what the problem was, however, she wasn't certain if she was really ready yet. Somehow... with her mother's necklace hanging from her own neck, she felt her loss all the more sharply today and at that particular moment... this was the kind of thing her mother should have been there for, one of those moments where her absence seemed particularly pronounced and painful, even after all the years that had passed and even though Lucy had a hard time remembering her.

"How do you know?" Lucy asked. Upon receiving a blank look from her older sister, she knew that she'd have to elaborate. Getting up and turning around slowly, she stared almost critically at Trista.

Trista was wearing a red dress, that fit her like a second skin and only came down to about mid thigh. Though it had long sleeves and covered all her front, it had an open back that was anything but modest. She was wearing a black set of thigh-high, leather boots with a stiletto heel that seemed to be made of a very shiny metal.

While she had never been the brightest of the bunch, and was rather unmotivated, Trista was very grounded and seemed to have acquired more life experience than any of the rest of them. At least where certain matters where concerned, so while Lucy knew that asking Trista she'd be exposing herself to inquiry, she didn't know who else to go to.

Minerva, if she'd ever had sex, had only done so with Ruby and somehow Lucy didn't think that was quite the same as having sex with a man. Marina, Adelaide, Daphne she knew were woefully unexperienced and Elaine... well she wasn't sure about her. However, she knew for a fact that Trista had experimented a bit and knew that if she was going to ask anyone, she was better off asking Trista, Trista at least would not be terribly nosey, nor judgmental.

"How do you know if you're... ready?" Lucy asked, looking at Trista seriously. Trista furrowed a brow over her crystal blue eyes.

"Ready for what?' she asked, a little too loudly for Lucy's liking. Walking over to her door, she made sure that it was shut before turning back to Trista who still bore a confused expression on her face.

"For sex," Lucy replied, walking back over and sitting on her bed. Trista's eyes widened. Her painted red lips opened in shock, however, she seemed to recover after a few moments. Furrowing her brow, she sat down on the bed.

"Why?" she blurted finally, apparently her mind unable to get past this to be able to answer Lucy's question.

Lucy shrugged. "I'm eighteen, I've never done anything with anyone... I'm just... curious," Lucy replied simply. That wasn't the truth, obviously. She knew how sex worked, she was also aware of how her body worked thanks to a painfully embarrassing visit to the doctor's office when she'd first started getting her period, due to the fact that her father had not wanted to have to explain these kinds of things to them, nor did he have the time. She'd also played with herself... often and enjoyed more than a fair few orgasms at her fingertips, after all, though she was a virgin that did not mean she did not have a perfectly healthy sex drive.

Trista looked skeptical at this but appeared willing enough to let it go. "Well I suppose I should say that you should wait till marriage, right?" Trista teased with a small smile. Lucy merely raised a sleek brow at this, not particularly in the mood to joke around at present. "Luce... I don't know. I don't really think I'm the person you should be asking."

"Who else am I gonna ask who isn't inexperienced or won't freak out?" Lucy asked ironically.

"True," Trista conceded. Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed. "I suppose you just... _know_. If you have any doubts about yourself, or the person you're with, than you're probably not ready. Sure you'll always be nervous but when you're ready... it will feel right, I guess," Trista explained slowly, with a final shrug to her shoulders.

Lucy nodded slowly, mulling over what her sister said as Trista got up and headed for the door. "Luce," looking up, she stared at Trista, who had one hand on the door and a serious expression on her face, an expression she'd never really seen on her before. "Just make sure it's with someone you love your first time... trust me, you don't want to regret it every time you have to look back on it because you gave it to some random guy, for the wrong reasons."

Lucy nodded slowly, for the moment focusing solely on the pain in the crystal blue eyes. Trista nodded and exited her room, leaving Lucy to wonder who had hurt Trista and wondering why she never noticed before.

XX

While dinner was a somewhat... monotonous affair, Lucy rather felt Ruby's idea was a rather inspired one. Though she thought Karaoke night at the same bar they had already been to for Trista's birthday was a bit cheesy and she was not particularly in the mood to party, she was happy to see her sister's having fun. Although, she'd been a bit disappointed that Minerva had opted out, as was Ruby.

Their group, which had originally only been made of up Ruby, her sisters, and herself, had expanded to include the members of Siren Song. Thus far, almost everyone but Marina had been up to perform a song, to the enjoyment of the other patron's. Presently Lucy was particularly enjoying Trista's rendition of Last Friday Night by Katy Perry with Marina and Ruby.

As she watched her sister animatedly singing, she couldn't help thinking about their conversation earlier. Though it had been several hours ago, as it was quite a bit past midnight, Lucy really hadn't been able to get the topic off her mind. While she was curious about the story behind the look of sadness in Trista's eyes, she was rather more concerned about the advice Trista had given her.

Though she was nervous at the prospect of her first time, and thought there were still doubts lingering in her mind and heart where Mr. Gold was concerned, she really didn't want to wait. Somehow, she felt that it was an eternity that she had been waiting for this moment to come along, and she didn't want to wait anymore. She was ready...

Now her only problem was convincing Mr. Gold of it and making love to him without appearing like a whore for sleeping with him without... well even knowing his first name! However, Lucy wasn't particularly troubled by the fact that she didn't know the man's first name. She wasn't sure why, but she felt in the grand scheme of things it wasn't a huge deal... not when considering how many secrets she imagined that the man kept.

Not that she was any better, where secrets were concerned. She'd always been a rather... private person. She'd never really been one with sharing, not even with her sisters. She knew that in a way, Dr. Hopper had helped her become a bit more open in their sessions, but now that they were at an end... mostly by her own decision, she knew that she still had more progress to make in that department. However, she was unwilling to part with all of her walls.

"Lucy, you're up!" Lucy looked up and found that she was suddenly surrounded by her sister's and Ruby.

"What?" she asked, having been startled out of her thoughts that she didn't protest and just went along when her sisters pulled her to her feet. It was only belatedly that she noticed that she was being dragged to the stage.

"It's your turn," Ruby said, shoving her on the stage. "Knock 'em dead!" she winked before laughing and turning around to join her sisters. For a moment, Lucy glared after her as the people in the bar clapped to encourage her. Lucy felt a something tighten in her stomach at the prospect of performing, the nervous flutter only momentarily giving her pause before she overcame it and took the mic. Staring at the prompter, she listened for the music cues, wondering who had picked her song when she noticed what she was singing.

"_When I was younger I saw my daddy cried, and curse at the wind. He broke his own heart as I watched as he tried to reassemble it. And my momma swore she would never let herself forget, that was the day I promised, I'd never sing of love if it does not exist," _Lucy started slowly, keeping with the tempo as the bar suddenly quieted._ "But darling you are … the only exception, you are … the only exception. You are... the only exception, you are... the only exception. _

"_Maybe I know somewhere... deep in my soul, that love never lasts. And we've got to find other ways to make it alone, and keep a straight face. And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance. And up until now I'd have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness. Because none of it was ever worth the risk," _Lucy sang, going back into the chorus and ignoring the ache that suddenly seemed to swell in her chest. It was an ache that she was familiar with, though she was sure she'd never grow numb to the feeling... longing.

"_I've got a tight grip on reality, but I cant let go of what's in front of me here. I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up. Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream, oh," _she sang, closing her eyes as she strained to hit the last note before going back into the chorus. _ "And I'm on my way to believing. Oh and I'm on my way to believing."_

The chorus of applause had Lucy opening her eyes. Smiling, she took them as gracefully as she could while ducking her head. Mentally she prepared herself for what awaited her when she got back to her table as she discreetly wiped the excess moisture from her eyes.

XX

Lucy felt her stomach knotting itself as she knocked on the door. For a moment, she stared at the stained glass window. Due to the fact that it was dark out, you couldn't see the colors, but Lucy had passed by the almost salmon colored house enough to know what they looked like. It had always struck her as slightly strange, the outer décor of the house and had often wondered what it's insides looked like.

It was nearing two in the morning, and she had finally managed to give her sister's the slip. Being the birthday girl, it was difficult sneaking away and she had to wait until they were, for the most part, wasted enough not to notice her. She knew that she'd probably be in trouble when morning came, or at the very least face six very curious girls- seven if they informed Minerva- but she figured that if all went well it would be worth it.

Now if only he would open the door, Lucy thought dryly to herself as she wrapped her jacket a little tighter around herself. Being as it was late March, it was still cold out, especially at nearly two in the morning when wearing a short dress and being drizzled on by icy water. The curls her sister Trista had fixed her hair up in had long fallen out, returning her hair to it's naturally straight condition once more.

Lifting her hand, Lucy was about to knock once more as she wondered just how long she had been standing outside. However, before she could raise her fist, the door opened.

"Lucy?"

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Sorry about the cliff-hanger. Suppose you will just have to tune in and wait for the next update. As always, please review. I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this chap, but I was too excited to get it posted that I didn't really go through another edit before posting.

DFPnotloggedin: Thank you for your review, I also couldn't wait for the start of the new season, which was awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed the flashbacks too.

Iroquois: Yeah, her more or less being let in Operation Cobra was an apprehensive decision, which is probably why I chose to not really do it until now. Although, once the curse "breaks" it won't matter too much, which is why I chose this point. And I'm glad you liked the bit at the end of the last chapter. :)


	26. Chapter 26: Princess Andrina

**A/n:**I forgot to state this in the last chapter, but the song Lucy sang was "The Only Exception" by Paramore.

Also, Lucy quotes William Shakespeare, the quote comes from Romeo and Juliet, ironically enough. Ironically because of Lucy's feelings about the characters on the play, however that is not to be confused with her abhorring the play. Lucy has a respect and love for Shakespeare's words themselves.

"_What are you doing here? It's nearly two in the morning- you must be freezing!" Mr. Gold exclaimed, a mixture of surprise, confusion and worry tinging his tone as his eyes raked over her in the dark. He pulled her into his home and locked the door behind her as they stood in his darkened entrance hall. Without saying a word he whisked her up the stairs, telling her to tread carefully and lead her down a dark hall with a plush carpet to the only room in the entire house which seemed to have any light. _

_Lucy didn't take much notice of the room but to see that it was gently lit, with a soft light that cast most of the room in shadow and gave a golden, orange glow to the rest. The room too was carpeted with what looked like an expensive, red ottoman and in the center of the room was a large four-poster bed with sheets and bed-spread of gold in silk."Stay here, I'm going to bring you towels."_

_Before he could turn and march away, Lucy caught hold of his wrist, covered by the sleeve of his black shirt. Though it was rather late, Mr. Gold still appeared to be dressed, though he was no longer wearing his jacket, vest or tie. "I'm not cold," Lucy stated as she shed her wet coat and discarded to the side, noticing with some delight the way his eyes seemed to rivet themselves to her suddenly exposed shoulders, which were slightly misted from the bit of rain that either soaked through her coat or had fallen within her collar. She could feel her heart thundering and nervous flutters in her stomach, part fear of his rejection, but part anticipation if it went as she hoped. _

_His hands touched her skin and he frowned as he rubbed his hands on her exposed shoulders and arms. "Your skin is freezing!" he told her, looking down into her eyes with what looked like mild irritation. "You could get sick, Lucy-"_

_Lucy wasn't in the mood to hear chastisements. Leaning forward, she pressed nearly icy lips against his warm one's. She let one of her hands trail into his hair while the other held onto his shirt at his waist. She kissed him ardently, and passionately and could feel her body heating itself from the inside and making its way to her icy cold surface, creating a feverish sensation to take over her body._

"_Lucy," Mr. Gold gasped, as he used his hands still on her arms to pull her away. He stared down at her with an expression of dawning understanding and discomfit. "What are you doing here, my sweet? You should be home," he stated softly, one of his hands reaching out to stroke her cheek with tenderness. _

"_I want you to make love to me," Lucy replied, feeling her cheeks heat at the request more from the slight wound it was to her pride, than out bashfulness. However, she held her head high, and returned his intense gaze. When she noted that he did not seem happy about this, she was quick to go on. Somehow, she knew where his hesitance stemmed for. "I know I've only just turned eighteen, I know that whatever we are isn't defined, nor stable... but I know how I feel about you and that it won't change. I'm ready and I want you."_

"_Lucy," Mr. Gold groaned as he removed his hands from her and attempted to turn away. However, Lucy wouldn't allow him to turn away from her. "Lucy... you don't even know my name. You don't know-"_

"_What's in a name?" Lucy asked, causing him to pause and look at her questioningly. Briefly, Lucy wondered if he realized that she was quoting Shakespeare. "That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."_

_Mr. Gold smiled at her, almost indulgently. "I'm not rose," he replied with some sarcasm, though a hint of self-deprecation tinged his tone. _

"_Neither am I."_

"Lucy!"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Mr. Newcastle, who was conducting class and calling her name it seemed. "What?" Lucy asked with some irritation at having her thoughts interrupted. Being what had occurred just a few days ago, Lucy couldn't bring herself to care or think of anything else.

Though it had taken some convincing on her part, she had managed to get what she wanted in the end. Mr. Gold had been slow and gentle with her, and the night had been more perfect despite the very slight initial pain that came with the experience. However, the pain had been short-lived and Lucy had barely been able to feel it.

However, despite how perfect the experience had been... Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that something had been missing. When Mr. Gold had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, Lucy had quietly clothed herself and snuck out and made her way back home. In a way, she felt awful thinking that when he woke and found her gone he might be hurt or troubled by it, but there was nothing for it.

She had to sneak home and into bed before anyone really noticed. Luckily no one did notice and when her sisters questioned her in the morning where she had gotten off to, Lucy merely told them she gotten tired and gone home to sleep and didn't tel anyone because she didn't want to make them all turn in since they were having so much fun; no one questioned it. Although, an odd expression crossed Minerva's face at the time but she said nothing.

"Lucy, please try to pay attention," Mr. Newcastle asked with impatience tinging his tone as he gave her a somewhat hard look. Lucy guessed that might have something to do with all the practices she had missed. However, she wasn't really concerned.

Lucy made no sign of acquiescing and turned her head towards the clock on the wall. It was nearing a quarter to eight. She couldn't believe she still had half an hour more of class. She was starting to think that she should simply skip the rest of the school day.

For perhaps the millionth time in the last couple days, she wondered where Mr. Gold was, what he was doing and what he was thinking or feeling. Somehow, she assumed that after her little disappearing act, that he'd be none to happy. But she needed time away form him to sort out her thoughts and feelings, and she didn't think she could see Mr. Gold while she was doing so without making him feel like he had done something wrong or she was regretting what she had done.

Which was not the case at all. She didn't regret it. She knew that it was possibly the happiest, most fulfilling moment of her entire life... however, it hadn't quite been complete. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, that told her that something was missing. However, no matter how much she racked her head, she didn't know what it was.

A sudden wave of head-rush seemed to come over her. For a moment, she gripped the sides of her desk in an attempt to steady herself. When it seemed to have past, Lucy felt severely overwhelmed. _My name _isn't_ Lucy, _seemed to be the first conscious thought that swam through her head as she stared with very wide eyes at her desk. This_ is not my home. I don't belong here. _

Looking around herself, she wondered if what had just happened to her, had happened to the people that were surrounding her. Noticing the dazed expressions of the people around her, and the confusion written all over them, she knew that she wasn't the only one that suddenly got back all her memories.

Looking towards the front, she saw Eric, who she'd thought of as Mr. Davenport before, leaning against his desk. When their eyes locked, Andrina slowly got to her feet. Distractedly she thought of how odd it was to have legs, as she made her way over to her brother-in-law. Shaking him out of his stupor, she looked at him with a steady yet steely gaze.

"Andrina?" he asked in a daze, a smile slowly threatening to break out over his face.

"We have to find Ariel, we have to go home," Andrina commanded, not returning his smile before turning around and marching out of the classroom. There would be time enough for smiles and hugs later. First, she had to make sure all her sister's were safe and get back to father.

XX

There were all convened in the dining room. After all the hugs, kisses and some tears of joy, everyone had for the most part seated themselves at the large dining room table. King Triton of course seated at the helm with Sebastian (Christian) at his right-hand. Attina (Minerva) was as always seated on father's left, looking poised as composed as ever while Aquata (Marina) was seated beside her looking considerably ruffled.

"So this is what you looked like as a merman, for the most part?" Andrina addressed with a smirk, looking directly at Sebastian. Though she was aware that as Lucy she had seen Christian every day of her life and gotten well acquainted with his warm, honey-colored eyes, caramel-colored skin, and closely shaved head, she hadn't known it was _Sebastian_. The Sebastian she had known and loved to evade and stress-out, had been small and red.

Sebastian glowered at her. "For the most part," he replied in his accented voice.

"Andrina," Triton said warningly, casting a glance over at where she stood; she couldn't bring herself to sit down, she felt as though there was an undercurrent of energy pent up inside her. However, all her years of etiquette now back to her, she was disciplined enough to stand still and not fidget or pace as she desired to do.

"Sorry daddy," Andrina replied, having the good grace to be abashed. She knew now was not the time for joking.

"That's alright," her father replied, nodding curtly before turning back to the matter at hand; what the hell they were all doing _here_ and how the hell did they get back.

"Daddy, what are we doing here?" Ariel asked. "How did we get here and not remember who we were?" she asked, looking at her husband for comfort as he squeezed her hand. Andrina, though happy for her sister, had to look away as she felt her heart clench once more. Having witnessed their reunion had been quite painful, knowing how much they loved each other and being able to see the longing and joy they felt in the kiss they shared.

Though her relationship with Mr. Gold seemed to be moving forward, now that she remembered who she really was and who _he_ was, she wasn't sure what would happen. And while she now knew why she felt that there was something missing when they had made love, a whole new set of problems seemed to come up.

Did Mr. Gold remember being Rumpelstiltskin? If not did Rumpelstiltskin still hold to the belief that he could not be loved and refuse to love? And if he had remembered who he was, and remembered who she was, would he be able to love her as Princess Andrina?

Andrina still had all her memories from when she was just Lucy Davenport, and while for the most part she recognized herself, she also knew that who she _truly_ was, was someone colder, bossy and at times quite haughtier. As Andrina, she wasn't quite so rebellious, and had a strong sense of duty to not just her father and family but to her kingdom. A kingdom she had loved.

She didn't belong in this world, but more so because she was a mermaid. She didn't even belong on land! And she wasn't even sure if she would have given up her home, her family, and who she was for Rumpelstiltskin. Even if he had _wanted_ her. Although, something told her that if he had wanted her and hadn't been whisked away to this strange land, that she would have left it all behind for him. Because the alternative was not appealing and because she couldn't bear to do that to her family.

However, something told her that he _did_ know exactly who he was and who _she_ was before today. The night they made love, particularly seemed to stick out and prove to her that she was right. After all, there had been a moment, when they were both getting close to their peak when Rumpelstiltskin had looked deep into her eyes, his breath coming in fast pants.

"_I- I love you... An-" he started to say huskily, ending in a moan as his thrusts became more erratic. Her head thrown back, her dark her a mess of black silk behind her head, she hardly able to hear him over her own pants and mewling. Her heart thundering. "Lucy," he gritted out, as though pained while bursts of stars went on behind her eyelids. _

"I don't know, Ariel, but it seems likely it was a curse," he father's deep, authoritative voice replied in a tone of uncertainty and concern.

That brought Andrina back to the present. Turning from where she stood almost behind Ariel, she turned to look at her father whilst shoving the memories down viciously and ignoring the heat that spread over her skin and the tingle that shot through her center. Now was a most inappropriate time to think of that, even if she was quite certain that he'd been about to call her Andrina and that the moan had simply been meant to cover his slip-up.

"A curse?" she asked, not sure why she was just remembering this until now. A laugh suddenly bubbled out of her throat, causing everyone in the room to turn and look at her. Andrina felt that she was quite possibly losing her mind. It was really all too much to hold in her head. Two lives, two whole different worlds... they didn't fit very well into one head. It was really no wonder that she had forgotten about this until just this moment.

"Andrina, are you feeling alright?" Ariel asked with concern.

"I really don't see what's so amusing," Arista (Trista) commented with a frown.

Andrina covered her mouth for a moment and composed herself. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "It's just that... well Henry Mills had this theory that we were all fairytale characters brought here from another world as part of a curse. I guess he was right, which means Regina is the reason we're all stuck here. This curse is all part of her revenge against Snow White."

"She's lost it," Arista commented. Being as they were sea-folk, they didn't trouble themselves in their own world very much with human's. For the most part, the only Snow White they had ever heard of was a fairytale character they had read about in a book or seen the Disney movie to in this strange world. Therefore Andrina refrained herself from verbally snapping at her peroxide-blonde sister.

"No, she hasn't," Surprisingly enough, it was Eric who came to his sister-in-law's defense. "I know Princess Snow White... or well of her, her kingdom was not too far from mine. I'm not certain why but Regina, her step-mother, went to great lengths to rid herself of her. Until Snow White and Prince James took back Snow's kingdom from her. I was supposed to travel to her kingdom, as Snow was pregnant and they had information that Regina had something horrible in store for all our world, but then I met Ariel..."

"The curse must have been broken," Andrina said, ignoring the look Eric was suddenly giving Ariel and focusing more on the information he had provided. Turning her gaze back to her father, even as her brow furrowed and she remembered the second time she ever saw Rumpelstiltskin.

"_I could make you forget... I could save you from this fate. You don't have to be doomed to love me."_ That's what he told her that moonlit night on the beach, the last time she ever saw him whilst in their true forms.

_Was this what he had meant_, she wondered to herself hoping with all her might that they hadn't all been brought here just because Rumpelstiltskin thought it would give her peace and free him from their bond. However, she shook her head. _The curse was Regina's_, she told herself. However, her gut instinct was telling her that Rumpelstiltskin had somehow been involved... and her instincts were never wrong.

"We have another problem, one perhaps more pressing," Sebastian stated, causing everyone to turn to him.

"What is it?" Alana asked, impatience ringing in her tone as she flipped a few black curls over her shoulder while Adella sat next to her biting her nails.

"The trident is missing," Triton explained with a grave frown. "Whether or not it even made it to this.. _world_ is a mystery. Without it, we are virtually powerless in this world and our people unprotected. If it is in this world and falls into the wrong hands..."

"Then if it is here, we must search for it," Attina stated, her voice coming at a higher pitch in her anxiety. "We'll search every nook and cranny in the house-"

"You're all forgetting that-" Andrina was going to say that magic in this world did not exist. However, she was suddenly cut off by a cry that issued from Adella as her elder sister stared out the window behind her with eyes widened in horror. Turning around, she looked out the window as a wave of what looked like purple fog came over the lawns heading quickly towards them. Her heart rate increased as she took a step away from the windows.

"Andrina, step away from the windows," her father ordered.

Andrina, however, didn't move. She had a moment of deja vu as she stared at the ominous fog rolling towards them. They all waited silently and with baited breath as it washed over them.

It seemed like an eternity before it had passed and Andrina felt an odd tingling sensation settle over her suddenly. Turning around, her eyes quickly scanned the room and made sure that everyone was fine. A collective sigh of relief seemed to issue from everyone.

"Is everyone all right?" Triton asked, quickly surveying the room. Everyone nodded their head or said their affirmation aloud.

"What was that?" Ariel asked, her voice shaky as she clung to her husband.

Andrina looked over at her father, who was staring at this hands with a furrowed brow. "I'm not sure," he stated quietly and slowly, the look of intense concentration not leaving his face as he continued to think.

"Your majesty... I think Attina made a good suggestion..." Triton nodded his head at his most trusted advisor, still looking quite pensive.

"Very well, I want you girls to search the house."

"What if it isn't in the house?" Arista asked, which got Andrina's mind whirling. Having spent so much time with Mr. Gold in his pawn shop, his cluttered shop and office suddenly came to mind. _So many objects... what all have you collected over the years Rumpelstiltskin? _

"Sebastian, Eric and myself will go into town and conduct-"

"You can't go daddy," Andrina interrupting, suddenly stepping forward and putting her hands on the back of her vacated seat, the wheels in her head still whirring. She gazed fiercely at her father, her deep green eyes meeting his electric blue gaze head-on. "Storybrooke has probably erupted into chaos, it's possible that it's quite dangerous and you are the leader of our people. You have to remain safe and it is safest here. _I_ will join Eric and Sebastian."

"Andrina, you can't possibly think I'm letting you go out there!" her father stated, getting to his feet and his lips twisting into a grim line. His face started steadily turning red. "Especially while I hide here like some-"

"No one really knows who we are here. The smaller group that goes searching, the less conspicuous we are," Andrina argued, her gaze locked still with her father's azure gaze. "If you were willing enough to put your trust in me to run your guard, then you can trust me to venture out into Storybrooke and not get hurt."

"She has a point, your majesty," Sebastian piped in, though the glare that he suddenly got form the king had him recoiling in his seat.

Andrina sent a calculating and cold glance at Sebastian, recalling to mind his disposition and taking into account Sebastian's height. Though of slender frame, Sebastian was rather tall. In fact, he was almost as tall as her father, who was well over six feet. "Actually, we'd be better off leaving Sebastian here. He's anxious and slightly neurotic. He'll fall apart and call far too much attention to our search expedition."

Sebastian sputtered at this as her father turned his eye and trained it on him while Sebastian continued to look at Andrina in offense.

"She's right, Sebastian. Looking after the girls has also never been your strongest suite," Triton stated with a small, fond smile twitching at the edge of his lips. Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled something about unruly, princesses. Andrina shook her head, though she couldn't help smirking. Triton sighed and shook his head, seemingly returning back to the matter at hand. "I don't know," he said uncertainly.

"I will be with her, sir. I assure you, I'll keep her safe," Eric ensured, surprising Andrina to some extent.

"Eric... you don't know Andrina, she doesn't need anyone to keep her safe," Ariel stated with a smile looking over her shoulder and staring at Andrina with fondness. Andrina couldn't help smiling in return at her younger sister, feeling her heart fill with pride at the vote of confidence from her sister.

"She's right daddy, she could beat half the guard," Arista stated with a shake of her head, a smile slowly lighting her features as her eyes glazed over and she recalled many occasions in which they watched Andrina practice with the guards and beat them in combat.

"Very well," Triton finally acquiesced with a heavy sigh, though it was highly visible that he didn't like this one bit.

XX

He didn't lie when he told Belle that he loved her. But he hadn't lied either, when he told her in their own world, that he loved his power more than he loved her. What he felt for her, wasn't true love. And he was certain that what she felt for him, wasn't true love either.

"_Promise me we can be together."_

The look on her face when she made the request, the tears that shone in her pretty blue eyes... it had been like jabbing a knife in his chest and twisting it. After all the pain that he'd caused her... all the suffering he put her through, he couldn't bear to break her heart in that moment. Not when she had spent twenty-eat years locked away, in some dark place...

He'd caressed her cheek, called her sweetheart and pulled her into a hug, deferring any answer and he was quite sure, giving her false hope. But what was he supposed to do?

When he made the promise, he didn't say which of her requests he was promising to keep. It had certainly not been all of them. Especially as he really couldn't promise her they'd be together, not in the way that she'd hoped.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** So that last part is referring to the part where Belle and Rumpel speak near the well, in my version he did not give her that steamy kiss.

From this moment on, I shall refer to characters by their FTL names.

The next chapter is in the works, and I really hate doing this but **I expect like seven reviews at least before I consider posting the next chapter,** and I don't think thats unreasonably when considering the amount of faves and follows this story has.

It's really... vexing when a chapter gets like one or two reviews and yet with every chapter you get notifications of at least one new person following your story. Granted I'm happy people enjoy the story enough to follow or fave, but really you have nothing at all to say about it?


	27. Chapter 27: The Beauty

Leaving took longer than expected, as her father wanted to give them their instructions more in private. Eric also had a long farewell with Ariel, as though he wouldn't be seeing her again for years, to which Andrina couldn't help rolling her eyes at.

Their objectives were simple, look for the trident and keep an ear open for news on what was happening in the town. Walking side by side silently, they both kept alert as they walked, searching the mostly empty streets. "Doesn't this kind of feel like we've stumbled into a zombie movie?" Andrina asked, unable to keep herself from cracking a joke to lighten the situation.

Eric shook his head, though she could see a smile on his face. He didn't say anything to that, and remained silent for a moment before turning serious once more. "Where do you think we should start?"

Andrina shrugged in response, an inelegant gesture for a princess but at the moment she didn't care. She had a place in mind, but she much rather preferred to make _that_ particular visit alone. Another place, or rather person, that came to mind was Henry. If anyone knew what was going on best, it would be him. However, she doubted that he would tell her anything with Eric around as the little boy did not know him and it would take him time to trust Eric. Besides, if he found out that she had betrayed his trust and told anyone what he knew, he might not be willing to speak to her again and her instinct told her Henry was a good ally to have.

"I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Andrina, I promised your-" Eric started with a sigh and a frown.

"I don't need you to look out for me," Andrina stated icily, stopping and turning to face her brother-in-law. Eric seemed taken aback by this. His frown extended.

"Look, I know you and I really don't know each other and you probably don't like me very much because I took away your sister... I know she was the baby and how much she means to all of you. You probably hate me for taking her away from you all-"

Andrina raised a hand, stopping Eric before he went on any more. "I don't hate you," Andrina stated patiently and slowly. "Ariel was always... _odd_. She was... _obsessed_ with your kind. Ariel will always have her way, so her leaving us was inevitable and... I'm glad it was you she fell in love with and not someone unworthy. Even though we've been trapped here so many years not knowing who we really are, and despite not really knowing you from our world, I can remember what you did. You fought against Ursula to save my sister, and in doing so you saved us all.

"This isn't personal, Eric. You don't know _me_. You don't know what I'm capable of. I don't need you to protect me, and ultimately it will be quicker if we split up and we can both get back home faster. I know how anxious you are to be away from her, now that you've finally found her again, I know how hard it must have been for you to stay away from her," Andrina stated, pausing as she thought about what the last few months had been like for her. And she hadn't even known Mr. Gold was her mate!

"I don't know," Eric said uncertainly. He looked slowly at Andrina. "I know you helped Ariel, get to the boat before it was too late."

Andrina furrowed her brow in confusion, not certain if Eric was referring to what she thought he was referring to or why he was going off on this tangent. "What?"

"The day I almost married Ursula, Ariel told me one of her sisters, the one just a year older than her, had swam her towards the boat since she didn't know how to swim in her human form. I know if it weren't for you, and how fast you are, that she wouldn't have been able to make it and I would have lost her forever."

"Why are you telling me something I know?" Andrina asked, arching a brow and wondering why he was wasting their time with this. If he head a point, she wanted him to make it already.

"Because you're important to me... and you mean even more to your family. I don't want anything to happen to you, if anything were to happen to you because I wasn't around..."

Andrina was staring to get extremely annoyed. "Look, we'll split for an hour or so, and meet back in front of the clock-tower," she ordered, keeping her tone controlled and calm. At Eric's look of discontent, she was quick to add, "Eric, don't make us do this the hard way. Because if you pick that route, I can assure you it will be quite painful for you and I don't think that's what you want to build our relationship upon."

Eric spared Andrina a wary glance, as though weighing whether or not she really would attempt an attack on him to get her way, or if she was bluffing. The cold look in her eyes, told him that she would and Eric didn't know how one was supposed to fend off a girl without hurting or bounding her, neither of which Eric was willing to do to his sister-in-law. It wouldn't sit well with his wife or his father-in-law. So he nodded in response, thinking there was no way he could possibly win, he just hoped he wasn't wrong in his choice and that she really would be able to look after herself.

XX

Andrina stepped inside Rumpelstiltskin's shop, hearing the dreaded bell ring, signaling her entrance. She would have scowled at the fact that it had given her away, but instead found herself looking around with a critical eye. However, if the trident was hidden away in the pawn shop, it didn't appear to be in plain sight.

She looked towards the curtained doorway that led to his office, but didn't hear the tell-tale sound of his cane. For a moment, she wondered if she should rummage around his cases, drawers, shelves or cabinets, but surprisingly found that she couldn't bring herself to betray his trust like that. She frowned as her eyes continued to critically look around while she stood in the center of his shop.

There was a time where she wouldn't have given a damn about that, she thought with dissatisfaction. As her eyes continue to look at every millimeter naked to the eye, she wondered vaguely if he was angry with her. Because she had stolen away, like a thief in the night, and not said goodbye. She wondered if he was upset that since the night they had made love, which had been days ago, that she had not been in contact with him.

As the seconds turned to minutes, Andrina found herself thinking it strange that the man she so loved had not yet made an appearance. "Rumpelstiltskin," Andrina called out when she'd gotten a thorough look at all the items on display and turning her attention fully to the curtain and what she knew lay beyond it.

She strained ear, and heard the distinct sound of movement. However, no tapping of the familiar cane, nor the appearance of the brunette man.

Tiring of waiting, she moved towards the curtain and stepped beyond it. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and stopped on a brunette girl, who was older than herself. In fact, she looked even older than Attina. She was of the same height as Andrina, though her hair was chocolate brown. From what Andrina could see, she had blue eyes and was dressed in a pretty, grey dress.

"Who are you?" Andrina asked, her voice none too gentle, confused and on alert to the fact that the girl was in Rumpelstiltskin's shop and the man was nowhere to be seen. The girl looked a bit taken aback at Andrina's aggression and for a moment merely opened her thin lips as if to say something though nothing came out. After a moment, she seemed to pull herself together and straighten her spine.

"I might ask you the same thing," she replied, in an accented voice that Andrina couldn't place. Her tone was calm, though not without courage and had a tinge or irony in it that had Andrina unamused.

"Where is Rumpelstiltskin?" Andrina asked, ignoring the fact that the girl had pretty much thrown her first question back at her.

"Not here," the girl replied, very much in the same tone she had previously used.

"Obviously. Where is he?" Andrina snapped, her eyes narrowing at the girl. She was starting to very much dislike her. She was suspicious, and Andrina didn't like the fact that she was in Rumpelstiltskin's office when the man was nowhere to be seen. She was beginning to worry for him.

"I don't know, he didn't tell me where he was going," the girl replied with a sigh. Andrina didn't respond to this as she looked around, her fears only barely assuaged at this news. "If you'd like, I could give him a message for you... as I don't know how long he'll be."

Andrina ignored the brunette as her eyes quickly scanned the room, having not perceived any physical danger form the the other girl. However, once more the trident was nowhere in sight and she was beginning to believe that the trident was the not an object that Rumpelstiltskin had come across.

After her eyes finished scanning, she turned her attention back to the girl. Her dark green eyes proceeded to survey the girl, from top to bottom and back again with a cold and calculating look that made lesser people squirm. However, the girl before her only barely shifted beneath her look, while her face became increasingly bemused.

"I'm sorry but... why are you here?" the girl asked, making a move to step closer. Andrina allowed it, without stepping back.

"Do you expect me to respond, when you haven't even told me your name?" Andrina asked sardonically, arching a brow.

"I'm Belle," the girl replied after a moment's thought. Andrina furrowed her brow at this and tilted her head slightly in thought as bells started ringing in her head. Her heart rate increased as she recalled the girl _Mr. Gold_ had told her about was named Belinda French. A girl who had worked for him, a girl who had loved him, a girl who had committed suicide.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Andrina asked, her voice astoundingly steady and emotionless despite the rushing in her ears of blood as her heart pounded in her chest.

"I think that's what Rumpelstiltskin was led to believe," Belle replied, her brow furrowing as she tilted her head. "How did you kn-"

"Belle," Andrina said distantly as her mind continued to whirr, and her eyes became cloudy. She could remember what Rumpelstiltskin looked like in their own world. He was... _beastly_, to some. "You're the beauty and he's the beast," Andrina said in barely above a whisper as she thought of what tale the name Bella came from. She thought bitterly how ironic it was that the night before her birthday, she had been watching that tale.

She could feel the moment something inside her seemed to break. It was a very tangible feeling, as though she where a guitar and one of her strings had suddenly been pulled too tightly and snapped. The pain seemed to reverberate through her insides, and for a moment she grunted and doubled over in pain as her vision swam. She could hear, despite her pain, footsteps approaching and she shuffled back, shooting a fierce gaze at Belle to not get any closer to her.

"Are you all right?" Belle asked, her voice full of concern though she stopped her approach. A vein in Andrina's temple throbbed and she could feel sweat sprouting on her skin. Belle was frightened by the dilation of Andrina's eyes, as the black pupil swelled for a moment, almost obliterating the green. However, after a moment, it seemed to have passed and Andrina straightened, panting.

"I'm fine," Andrina said through gritted teeth, before turning around and quickly marching away as she felt anger suddenly boiling inside her. She barely kept herself from slamming the shop's door shut behind her, all the while ignoring the footsteps following her and the girl asking her to wait. She had wasted enough time, and she only had an hour before she had to meet up Eric.

XX

Ruby, or whoever she truly was, was not at Granny's. So the next logical place to search for her was the Inn. Panting for breath from all the running she had been doing, she pounded on the door with more force than necessary, the pain hardly registering in her hand.

Andrina bounced on the balls of her feet impatiently as she waited for someone to come to the door while still trying to slow her heart rate. She was running out of time. She would have to meet up Eric soon and didn't want him to freak out because she was a few minutes late, nor to ask her questions about where she had been.

Fortunately, the door opened a few moments later, with Ruby looking through the crack. The door opened only marginally wider as the brunette girl behind it, looked her over. "I have it on good authority, _you're_ little Red-riding hood," Andrina stated almost teasingly, attempting to gain control of her impatience and the irrational anger she felt still bubbling beneath the surface and shoving it down as far as it was possible to.

Red smiled slightly as her stance became slightly more relaxed. "You don't know the half of it, but yes, my loved one's call me Red," she said with a slight role of the eyes before becoming serious once more. "Who are you really?"

"Someone without a story," Andrina replied dryly with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "But you might know my sister, Ariel, the Little Mermaid?"

Red's eyes widened as she stepped back, allowing Andrina entrance though that was not the intention in her backpedaling. "WOW," Red stated, flabbergasted as Andrina shut the door behind herself. "So Minerva and you are... mermaids?"

"Attina," Andrina corrected. Red tilted her head, not comprehending. "Her real name is Attina. And I'm Andrina. All of our names start with an A... actually. Most find it confusing and yes... we are mermaids. Or _were_."

"So I was right," Andrina and Red both looked towards the stairs at the little head poking over the railing, of Henry Mills. He walked down the stairs as Andrina offered him a smile, feeling all that anger and frustration finally easing away and fading as she stared at his little pale face.

"Hey Henry," Andrina smiled, feeling warmth in her chest for the small precocious child, tucked unexpectedly away in the Bed and Breakfast.

"You're a princess!" Henry stated, to which Andrina merely nodded, while shooting a glance towards Red who still seemed to be trying to come to terms with what she had just heard. Apparently knowing that her ex and her friends were mermaid princesses was a bit much for her as she was presently taking a seat at the foot of the stairs and running her hands through her chocolate colored hair.

"Henry... what happened? Why are we all here?" Andrina asked, squatting down so that she was more level with the kid and taking his smaller hands into her own as she looked into his brow eyes. Henry frowned as he looked at her.

"Emma broke the curse. My mom... the queen, she said there was nothing to go back to," he replied, sounding rather upset.

"Do you know what the purple smoke was?" Andrina asked, turning to look at Red. Red seemed to snap out of it and nodded her head slowly.

"Magic," she responded simply as Andrina slowly stood up, furrowing her brow.

"But this world doesn't have magic- how-"

"Mr. Gold... he brought it here," Henry replied.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Red supplied, though Andrina didn't need that. She ran her fingers through her hair shakily as pain seemed to reverberate through her as she thought about Rumpelstiltskin and the girl in his shop. It was like the pain had become something living, and pulsating inside her. "Are you okay?" Red asked, concern tinging her voice as she noted how pale Andrina had gone suddenly and the slightly pained look that briefly flashed across her face.

"I'm fine," Andrina replied, stepping away from both brunettes as she looked at the clock in the room. She had fifteen minutes to get to Eric. "I have to go before they start to worry."

Though Red seemed unwilling to part with her so soon, Andrina didn't give her a choice as she quickly exited the little Bed and Breakfast, her head spinning with thoughts while wondering what was wrong with her.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Everyone who reviewed for the last chapter, thank you. I mean wow. I don't know when the next chapter will be up as I have yet to start writing it and haven't got solid ideas for it so please bear with me me. Also I'm open to suggestions, and as always please review.


	28. Chapter 28

Rumpelstiltskin was annoyed. As anyone who'd ever dealt with him could tell, an annoyed Rumpelstiltskin was a deadly Rumpelstiltskin. It hardly many any difference that Belle was alive, or that he'd _almost_ got his revenge on Regina for what he put her through, or that he was this much closer to locating his son. The only thing that seemed to be running through his head was that he had not seen his princess in days and had missed his first opportunity to do so.

"_You're back," Belle exclaimed with a smile as he stepped back into the back of his shop. He nodded his head as he slowly walked over to his desk as Belle stood from his seat behind it. "Someone came looking for you."_

"_Oh?" he asked, arching his brows in mild interest._

"_I'm sorry, but she didn't tell me her name," Belle stated, causing Rumpelstiltskin to pause. It wasn't often that women came looking for him, at least not in Storybrooke, unless one counted Regina and Emma Swan. However, he knew that it could have been Regina as she was locked up and Belle would have recognized her anyway. And considering that Emma Swan was rather busy today, that left only one other option. _

_His heart started to accelerate as he slowly turned to fix Belle with a politely inquisitive look, not giving away the distress and anxiety he suddenly felt. "What did she look like?" he asked nonchalantly, as he turned back to move towards his chair. _

"_Well... she was about my height, younger, slender with very long, black hair," Belle replied. Rumpel could swear his heart was pounding loud enough for Belle to hear as he sat and struggled to maintain a carefully cavalier expression on his face. "She was a bit arrogant and hostile. It was strange actually, because I told her my name its like... she went to another place- Do you know her Rumpelstiltskin?"_

"_I believe I might," Rumpel replied, trying to listen over the rushing of blood in his ears. It was nearly deafening and the racing go v his heart was becoming unbearable. Slowly he moved his gaze over to Belle who was approaching his desk, with a concerned expression on her face. _

"_I don't know how, but I think she knows me. Or at least, knows the lies Regina spread about me," Belle told him, with her brows contracted over her eyes. _

"_It is possible, you were after all part of the noble class," Rumpel replied vaguely, unwilling to reveal Andrina's identity or how it was that she actually knew about Belle. It was not exactly a subject he wanted to delve into at the present, and the less people knew about his association with Andrina, the safer she was. "Did she say what she wanted?"_

_Belle shook her head in response, causing him to frown. "I asked her if she wanted to leave a message, but she seemed upset and in such a rush to leave..."_

Rumpelstiltskin made the intuitive leap that if Andrina had left upset, it was probably because she'd figured out who Belle was and what "fairytale" her story was and how it connected to him. It irritated him and thought he knew it was not Belle's fault, he couldn't help taking it out on her a little. Perhaps that was why he had been cruel to her.

"_I thought you'd changed."_

"_What, in the hour you've known me?"_

He supposed his visit by the little reunited Charming family also factored into his annoyance a bit.

Rumpel glared for a moment as he watched the spinning wheel. Concentrating on every controlled turn, he felt his thoughts flitting away and scattering before reforming. In his opinion, Belle's problem was that she was not content with the man he was. Like Milah, she wanted him to be different. She didn't seem to realize that he simply couldn't make the change of character she wanted. He was sure that he still had some qualities that made him a decent human, but he'd never be the hero Belle wanted; he could accept that. He'd lived with that his whole life. Belle simply couldn't seem to accept it.

As he continued to spin the wheel, his eyes seeing unseeingly as he felt the wool thread through his fingers, he wondered if his Andrina would be the same. If, like the other women in his life, she'd want to change him and refuse to see who he really was. Despite the fact that as Lucy she'd had told him that she had no delusions of his character, she was saw him as he was, he was afraid he'd still fall short in her estimation.

Even all these days later, he found himself wondering why she had distanced herself from him since that night? Had she realized it was a mistake? Had she regretted it?

For what he was sure was the millionth time, he mentally berated himself for not holding firm to his belief that it was not the right time. Perhaps if he'd held true to his resolve, he wouldn't have to be wondering what he'd done wrong or how she was taking getting her memories back. However, how could he have resisted when she was there, looking so lovely and within reach?

In the soft glow of his office, it was only too easy to remember that night. Remember how her pale skin almost looked like amber gold as it seemed to glow in the dim lighting. His fingers itched to run his fingers over her smooth, soft skin once more, and he ached to know that it had all been at his mercy, and he'd run his fingers over the entire expanse of it while lavishing sweet attentions to every part of her he only ever dreamed about before.

She was more perfect than he'd ever imagined. He didn't think he'd ever come across anything more exquisite and she made waiting an entire lifetime completely worth it. If he only had the opportunity to know her once, he'd die happy and not complain. However, it was nowhere near enough, and the taste only made him crazed for more.

But he was uncertain if that would ever happen. Frowning, he thought about what Belle had told him earlier, and wondered if what he'd have to explain now. He knew that Belle would most likely still be a sore subject for them. After all, he could still remember _Lucy's_ reaction to finding out about Belinda French. He wondered how Andrina would differ, being as they were essentially the same person.

The sound of bells, brought him out of his deep concentration. Turning slowly, he watched just as Belle peeked through the curtains. "Hi."

"Hey," he breathed as he fully turned to give Belle his attention. He felt relief, to see that she was all in one piece and seemed to have calmed since their last encounter. Though he may not be in love with her, he still cared for her and was worried about her wondering the streets at night alone, especially with a wraith lose.

"I uh... went for a long walk," Belle stated with a small bob of the head.

"I thought you didn't want to see me," he replied archly.

"I didn't, but I … was worried."

"Well the beast is gone. Regina... lives," he stated, the last bit leaving a sour taste in his mouth. It was almost as though all his endeavor was for nothing. Just a huge waste of time, which had cost him a visit from Andrina.

"So uh... you didn't get what you wanted?" Belle asked, seemingly somewhat pleased though her voice held a tinge of mocking.

"Well, that remains to be seen," he replied, thinking about his son and Andrina. Because he wasn't going to leave either situation as they were. He had to talk to Andrina, however, he was uncertain as to how. By now, he knew that her family was holed up in their manor, which may was well been a fortress what with its iron gates and high hedges surrounding their property.

"You uh, sill have it," Belle suddenly laughed. Rumpel turned, having apparently missed something as he got lost in his thoughts as Belle reached around him. When she moved back so that she was standing before she had a smile on her face and a familiar, porcelain cup in her hands, causing him to smile for an instant as he thought of all the trouble that small little cup had caused during Valentines Day. "My chipped cup," Belle sniffled.

Rumpel watched her for a moment, thinking quickly before standing. "There are many, many things in this shop," he started, taking the cup gently form her hands. "But this... this is the only thing I truly cherish," he told her, which wasn't a lie. If he had anything that belonged to Bae or Andrina, they would take precedence, but he had nothing of theirs. "And now you must leave."

"W-what?" Belle asked, her face falling and tinged with confusion.

"You must leave because despite what you hope, I'm still a monster," he told her, being as honest as he could muster. However, when she smiled, and placed her hands on his shoulders, he felt at a loss.

"Don't you see? That's exactly the reason I have to stay," she told him, still smiling foolishly up at him. His brows contracted as he looked away, wondering what she was going on about. He was trying to let her down gently, telling her that he wasn't changing.

Sighing, feeling to exhausted to go on arguing with her, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just go home. It's been a long day."

XX

Andrina wasn't the least bit amused when she realized the members of Siren Song were apparently members of their guard. Since that day, their father had locked the house down and used Caleb (JC and lead guitar/vocals of the band) and the others for reconnaissance and to gather others of the guard. So far they'd only located four others, all assigned to their own tasks while Andrina and the majority of her sisters were locked away. The only exception was Ariel, who had moved in with her husband, who had his own guard if necessary.

Her father had also prohibited any of them from revealing what they were to the other humans and tried to limit interaction with them as little as was possible. Not to mention, banned them from singing around the humans, as he was not sure yet whether their voices had retained their magical properties, even now that he knew that Rumpelstiltskin, or Mr. Gold as he'd known him, had brought magic to Storybrooke.

Andrina would have gone crazy, were it not for the fact that she had found a way to sneak out when she felt it absolutely necessary. However, she wasn't sure if that was such a great idea when considering how it had gone last time. She'd gathered by the looks of Rumpels house that he had a guest, a brown-haired guest renown for her beauty. The knowledge had caused yet another wave of pain that caused her to double over.

However, she knew that her little escapes were necessary to gather her own intel. Thus far, she knew that Emma and Snow White were dragged through a portal to what they believed was a land that no longer existed and that Snow White's husband was acting as Sheriff in Emma's absence.

She knew that Regina, the Evil Queen, was struggling with magic.

She knew that to step out of the city limits, was to lose your true self and become your cursed self.

She knew that while she and her sisters were tucked away in their home, everyone else had gone back, as though life were back to normal.

And she also knew that her family had yet to locate the trident.

Laying back in her bed, locked in her room, Andrina thought of the visit she was paid, earlier in the day by her sister Attina. She was surprised when she heard perfect Attina, who never broke a rule if she could help it, ask her to sneak her out of the house. Of course, Andrina couldn't really resist doing this favor for her oldest sister, especially when she found out the reason was because Attina wanted to see Ruby, and talk to her.

"_What's brought this on?_" Andrina recalled asking, while arching a brow at her sister who sat perfectly poise a the foot of her bed.

"_We're mermaids, Andrina. Our hearts only ever sing for one person, and I know mine's sung for Ruby.. or Red. She's my mate, everyone can understand that,"_Attina had replied, with a small smile on her face.

Things for them were quite different. In Atlantica, sexual orientation was almost non-existent, as one's mate could be anyone, even a human or creature, the sexual orientation mattered even for less. It wasn't uncommon to find same-sex mates, though., it wasn't still the minority by comparison and of course, they really couldn't procreate. However, _"But you're to be Queen. Theres never been a same-sex, ruling pair."_

"_If our people, or father can't understand, I don't care. I can't stand being away from her. My heart... it aches all the time now. I'll give up the throne for her."_

Andrina hadn't liked that much, when thinking objectively about the line of succession. If Attina abdicated, Aquata would be next in line, and Andrina lacked confidence in her older sister. Somehow, she thought Aquata would be inept as a ruler, but Alana and Arista were no better and Adella was too young and even for her age, she was too silly.

However, Andrina would do anything for any of her sisters' happiness and so she agreed to sneak Attina to see Red. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out so well. The moment they had stepped into the diner, it was to witness Red parting with a brunette girl in a blue dress with a hug. Andrina had felt the moment her sister had frozen in her tracks as they stood at one of the entrances in the diner, the one behind the girl in the blue dress.

"_She doesn't change, does she? Even her other self is just the same," Attina whispered to her breathlessly. Andrina turned just in time to watch as a tear fell down her sisters cheek, only to be wiped briskly away as the heart-broken expression was hidden by a veil of long, brown hair. Before she could say anything to Attina, her sister had whirled around and stepped outside the diner. _

_Andrina was about to follow, however, when she heard Red saying goodbye to the girl and caught the name Belle, she whirled around. An irrational surge of anger swelled up inside her as the Belle girl exited the diner by the other doorway. Andrina could feel herself trembling with the rage, wanting to break something or bash someone's face in. _

_She couldn't help feeling personally betrayed and as she recalled the heart-broken look on her sister's face, she felt something snap inside her. A scream ripped from her throat, muffled mere nano-seconds later as she clenched her teeth tightly while falling to her knees; the pain was so intense this time, like a bolt of lightning ripped through her heart and all the way to her feet. _

_She could hear the few people in the diner at the time, muttering amongst themselves and heard a couple sets of of footsteps approach her. "NO ONE TOUCH ME!" she growled through clenched teeth as the aftershocks of pain continued to course through her entirety. Sweat had sprouted on her back as she remained on her knees, her hands attempted to get a grip on the floor, but it was made of linoleum. She could feel her nails digging in painfully into the floor._

_She was vaguely aware of someone kneeling near her and her head snapped up to look at the person angrily. Red flinched back, fear and concern warring on her face as she stared at her. "You're unworthy! Next time I see you, I want my axe," Andrina hissed, getting on her legs shakily while glaring down at Red and trying to keep the pain she still felt at bay. _

_Quickly, she spun around and ignored Red calling after her once she'd gotten over the shock of what had just happened. She had to get away from the girl she had once almost considered a sister. She didn't trust herself with the anger now surging through her, to not grab Red by her long locks and hauling her outside to her sister and making her _beg_ for her sister's mercy and forgiveness. _

Andrina turned to her side and curled up around her center, wondering what was wrong with her. Even now, she couldn't bring herself to think of Red, Rumpel or Belle, without feeling pain and anger, the anger only just surpassing her pain.

It scared her. She had never felt that angry or violent before. She didn't know what was happening to her, made her afraid of what she could be becoming.

And the pain. That was thrice now, and the third one was the worst. It made her wonder if it would happen more, and if would be becoming more painful as each one had seemed more painful than the last. Each time the same sensation, just more intensified. Like the strings that held her together were all breaking and in the aftermath all there was... was a desire to destroy everything in her path because somehow she felt that might make her feel better.

Andrina was unsure what was happening and wanted to pretend that it was nothing, but she was afraid. More afraid than she'd been of anything in her life, the sensation completely foreign to her. However, she couldn't bring herself to tell her father. He had so much on his plate already. She doubted that he could take this.

However, she was unsure how much longer she could take the pain or if it would simply, eventually, kill her if it kept up.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Review.**


	29. Chapter 29: Evil Isn't Born

Andrina was having a melt down. It was the only way she could explain what she was doing _there_ of all places.

She was desperate. It was the only way to explain the carelessness and the fact that she was actually reaching out to someone.

"I'm losing it!" She stated as she marched in, banging open the door and pacing in the cramped space behind the couch, not noticing her surroundings as she tried to gain control of the tremors of anger that were running through her. "I'm angry, almost all the time! I just destroyed my guitar, just smashed it on the ground, in a fit of anger!" she went on, running her fingers through her long locks of hair before coiling them to fists and grabbing handfuls as she doubled over and screamed as if that would help alleviate all the anger she felt somehow.

Her mind was flashing to her at Granny's Bed and Breakfast to retrieve her guitar. The mere sight of Red had her snatching the guitar from her and going out to the pavement and smashing her guitar into the ground viciously while Red cried desperately for her to stop. However, Andrina hadn't been able to. Even as her heart broke to see the beautiful, lilac, electric guitar laying in bits on the ground.

"Lucy..." the kind, voice she knew so well started uncertainly. "Now isn't really a good time-"

Andrina looked up, looking at the man on the armchair incredulously, about to snap; however, she became rather tense when she noted a red-eyed Regina sitting on the couch just before her, turning around and looking at her with a somewhat surprised expression. However, the suddenly arched eyebrows and the slightest quirk of the lips, had her expression changing.

"Would you look at those eyes, they are almost pitch black; tell me princess, is that something that happens to all your kind when you get angry or is it something more... concerning?" Regina asked, her malice in her voice only slightly subdued by the croak of her voice. Andrina's eyes narrowed on Regina and she stepped threateningly towards the couch, causing the older woman to jump to her feet and back away. "Careful, dearie. Evil isn't born, it's made."

Andrina felt all the anger suddenly flee from her as she stiffened and stared at Regina. She took in the woman's eyes, which she'd always felt were too big and too brown to belong to such a heartless woman. She took in the reddish tinge that surrounded them, and their glassy appearance before the woman turned away in a failed attempted at disdain.

Andrina hardly heard as Regina said something before giving Andrina a wide berth, shooting a last, contemplative look at her before departing. Momentarily, Andrina turned absently towards the shut door through which Regina had just exited.

"Do you want to have a seat? Lucy-"

"Andrina, it's Princess Andrina," she said distractedly as her feet took her around the couch and she fell heavily and ungracefully on it, her mind still stuck on what Regina had told her. Her heart seemed to freeze as she considered the words, wondering why they had struck her so and feeling a hollowness in her stomach that told her that she knew _precisely_ what Regina was getting at and _why_ it troubled her so.

"Princess Andrina then," the conscious smiled, though it went unnoticed by the suddenly very pale girl who sat rigidly before him, her head turned away from him but still tilted high, even as she thought. "I'm Jiminy-"

"I know, Henry's told me," Andrina stated, waving him off slightly impatiently, in a way that Jiminy started to recognize as an attitude that seemed to afflict many royals. "Do you think that's true?" she asked, suddenly turning to the man she had known as a doctor and had a hard time thinking of as a grasshopper. "What Regina said-"

"Well-"

"She would know wouldn't she? I mean... she brought us all here. She rips people's hearts out," Andrina stated, becoming more and more agitated.

"Regina-"

"I'm scared!" Andrina blurted, stopping Jiminy once more. At his startled look, Andrina felt herself calm slightly to admit it aloud to someone. Looking down into her lap, she wrung her hands together and went on more quietly, as her eyes filled with tears. "I've never been scared of anything really in my life... but I feel like I'm losing myself. I'm just so... _angry_, _all_ the time. It's like a tidal wave, threatening to drag me under. Each time it becomes worse... thus far I've managed to not hurt anyone... but-"

"Andrina, if I may be so informal," Jiminy stated, interrupting her and causing her to look up. She nodded minutely, not really caring to be called by her title. "Anger is a perfectly normal thing to feel. Everyone gets angry, you just have to learn to control it. I'm sure you wouldn't hurt anyone-"

"I've killed people," Andrina stated coldly, causing Jiminy to stare at her with widening eyes, his mouth frozen in position. "Two, in fact, sailors. Drowned them, without guilt or remorse for my actions, the first when I was thirteen."

Momentarily, Andrina looked away, getting lost in memories of the past; a past and a life she had forgotten until recently. The first time, she'd been on an exploratory excursion a few members of the guard. She'd been trailing somewhat behind, when suddenly she felt something tugging at her head. It only belatedly that she realized that something had been caught in the bun and coronet in her hair and whatever it was was hauling her towards the surface. By the time she managed to disengage the hook from her hair, she was too close to the surface and a wide pair of startled eyes were staring at her through the waves of the surface.

Instinct had taken over then. She'd no choice but to leap out of the water, trap the boy no older than she was at the time in her arms, and drag him under. It was only until the boy had stopped struggling in her arms, when he was quite still, that the guard was finally able to disengage him for her grip. The blank look in his lifeless brown eyes would have forever haunted her were it not for the fact that it was the first time she had out-shined any of her sisters. It had been the proudest moment of her life because it was the first time her father had _really_ looked at her and made her feel like she was special and not just because she was his daughter

The second time, it was because she had been trailing Ariel. She was sixteen and Ariel was on the verge of turning fifteen. Ariel had been lounging on a rock in the surface, basking in the sun and too close to the beach, when a man had stumbled upon her.

Ariel, in her infinite kindness and fascination with humans could not do what was required of her and Andrina had to take it upon herself to lure the man to the water with her voice, and drag him under whilst ignoring the cries of her younger sister, which had torn at her heart.

"To be fair, it is our law. We can't allow humans to know of our existence. It is unfortunate, when a sailor catches a glimpse of us, but it must be done," Andrina stated, trying to quell Jiminy's fear and not feel ashamed under his look of horror; she was reminded of the way Ariel had looked at her that day, with a tearful look of horror and disgust that made broke her heart every time she remembered it. Ariel had never quite forgiven her for that.

"But as you can see, I'm perfectly capable of hurting people. If it is necessary, I will do what has to be done. Does that make me a bad person?" Andrina asked after a long pause, looking down into her lap. She'd never really thought about it before, never questioned drowning those two sailors even when it had cost her the close bond she'd had with Ariel. Because she knew it _had_ to be done.

The only thing a merperson feared as much as becoming feral, was being kept in a tank by humans, like a pet.

"Henry's mentioned to me in past sessions that he believed you and your sisters are mermaid princesses. Was he correct?"

Andrina slowly looked up, her face perfectly serious. "If I told you, I might have to kill you. But since you're supposed to keep what happens in these sessions to yourself, I'll trust you not to spread that around."

Jiminy seemed to blanch at this, but nodded his head. "I understand how it might have been a necessary precaution on the part of your people. While a person can be quite understanding, I'm afraid people as whole... tend to try to destroy what they do not understand and fear."

"I don't know where all this anger is coming from. It seems to come spontaneously, and when it does, it's like it's only release is through destruction. And I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Soon, I don't know if I'm going to be able to control it, and someone can be hurt," Andrina stated, putting her head in her hands.

"I'm beginning to think, my destiny is to become a villain," Andrina confessed in a quiet whisper, admitting it for the first time, not just aloud but to herself. She had been starting to think so over the last couple days, brief thoughts that she wouldn't fully admit to having and brushed off before they could fully form; though she was sure they remained in her unconscious.

It was the only way her life seemed to make sense to her.

After all what kind of princess killed? What kind of princess, fell for the bad guy? What kind of person, infringed on someone else's happy ending?

If Regina was right, evil was created, and the only thing she could think that could create evil, was pain; by turning that pain to rage. Because maybe, that was the only way to survive. It was why the rage frightened her so, it was consuming her and she felt she was losing the war raging inside her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on.

"Have you noticed Disney's villains have a penchant for black and purple?" Andrina asked, with a sad, ironic smile as she looked up and motioned to herself. She'd always loved purple, perhaps because it was the color of her tail and she had an affinity for black. If someone were to look through her wardrobe, even as Lucy, black and purple dominated her wardrobe and the clothes she had absently picked out for herself, were a black set of skinny jeans, black sneakers, and a purple t-shirt over a long-sleeved, blackshirt. She'd smashed her purple guitar- _purple_!

"We are not Disney's versions of fairytales," Jiminy replied, with the smallest of smiles, though his gentle eyes remained saddened and concerned.

"No, we're not. If we were, there would be more happy endings, but perhaps that's my problem. I don't have a story worth being told, or if I am meant to become evil, my journey becomes irrelevant because... who wants to empathize with the villain?"

XX

Andrina sat on the sands of the beach, staring out into the water as the wind whipped at her hair, lost in thought of the session she had just attended with Jiminy and everything she'd come clean about. As she stared at the blue water a part of her longed to return to, she wondered if it would really help at all if she were home.

Without much thought, she started removing her shoes, before taking off her socks and sticking them inside her sneakers. Quickly, she removed the two layers of shirts she wore as she got to her feet, whipping them on the ground with her shoes. She could feel the somewhat cold wind whipping at her exposed torso, covered only by a black lacey bra, but Andrina ignored it.

In the face of her sudden determination, she yanked down her jeans, only careful not to remove her matching bikini bottoms before stepping out of her jeans. Tying up her hair, she started to march towards what she knew would likely be icey cold water, and wasted no time to think about whether or not her present body would be able to tolerate the temperature.

The wind biting at her skin, felt almost like needle prickles, but Andrina didn't care as she started running towards the water. Thus far, swimming in their pool had given her no comfort at all. In fact, it made her feel rather uncomfortable. It was the fact that it felt so confining, almost like she was in a tank, that completely put her off and unsettled her. It made her wonder whether or not it would be better if she were in the river, or the sea.

When her feet started splashing in the water, it seemed to take a few steps before her brain registered the shock of the suddenly cold prickles. Gritting her teeth, Andrina merely kicked up her speed and ran as fast as her legs could take her into the water. Once she was waist deep, she dove under the water and swam deeper.

The sudden cold that enveloped her body made her mind completely blank and she felt as though all the air in her lungs had been stolen from her. Sticking her head above water for a moment, she took in a deep breath before swimming in further until she was sure her feet could no longer touch the ground. Her skin felt like she was being stabbed by thousands of tiny knives.

It felt so shocking and painful to her body that for several minutes, it was almost as though she didn't exist but for the pain. After several minutes of swimming, which felt more like an eternity, her limbs steadily began to get harder and harder to control. Doubling back, she burst through the surface and opened her eyes for the first time and stared up at the sunny sky, gasping for breath. She could hardly feel any warmth coming from it as she panted and her body started to shiver.

With heavy limbs, Andrina made her way towards the beach, finally crawling of the water, before collapsing on the sand. Laying on her back with her arms thrown wide, as if she could embrace the sky. Though her body was shivering violently, and she still found herself short of breath, she felt immensely lighter than she had since the curse had been broken.

Opening her eyes, she stared up at the sparse nimbus clouds that floated overhead while her teeth chattered as the wind lapped at her wet skin. For a moment, she didn't regret that she was stuck in the body of a human and that her body could no longer tolerate the extreme temperature's it once had, or that it wasn't nearly as strong as she used to be. She had experienced bliss for a few minutes, tasted freedom of a spotless mind.

As she finally seemed to regain control of her breathing, Andrina watched almost blankly as a rolling cloud passed overhead. For a moment, the figure of a helmed man seemed to appear in white, briefly calling to her mind the image of the statue of Poseidon on their lawn. Sitting upright, Andrina furrowed her brow as she thought of the white marble trident the statue held in its hand.

However, before she could think much more, the sudden sound of her name had her turning her head to look behind her. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched a familiar figure loping at a surprising speed towards her in an ungainly manner. Despite the exhaustion of her human form, her body tensed at the sight as Rumpelstiltskin stopped and knelt next to her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his accent thickening, his hair falling in his face as he touched her cheek and after looking over her scantily clad body.

Andrina flinched away from his touch, his hand feeling like it branded her skin with its heat, his touch fiery hot against her iced skin. She stared at the man's wounded expression, felt her heart ache at the way his silky brown locks fell into his brown eyes. Simultaneously her heart seemed to swell and break at his proximity.

Before she could say anything to him, he looked away from her and waves his hand over her. Immediately, she felt a tingling sensation all over her body. Looking down at herself, she saw that he had spelled her dry, even her hair was no longer wet and instead almost seemed to provide a curtain to around her still too cool body.

"Just what were you thinking?" he gritted out quietly, still not able to look at her as he pulled off his jacket and put it around her. Andrina allowed it, merely staring at the man who knelt next to her, wondering if he'd ever been hers.

"That a swim might give me peace," Andrina replied slowly, her speech slightly slurred and stuttered due to the lethargy of her tongue and the slight chattering of her teeth. Rumpel's eyes snapped to her face, containing a mixture of anger and concern that made her heart momentarily clench. Once more, he waves his hand over her. She watched with slight fascination as a purple glow emanated from his hand and she felt her body suddenly warmed once more.

"Peace?" he questioned archly, his gaze traveling up to meet hers.

"Did you know?" Andrina asked, turning away from him as her mind came to full capacity and became flooded with so many thoughts that it turned her head. For the moment, however, she felt most conscious that this was the first time she'd seen him since the curse was broken, the first time she'd seen him since she'd surrendered her body to him; the first time she saw him and knew him for who he truly was and with the full knowledge that he was the the only being in all the worlds that her heart would ever correspond to truly.

"Know what, dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, not sure to what she was referring to. He had an inkling, but at her rejection of his touch and the fact that she had been avoiding him, did not make him feel terrible cooperative.

"Did you know all along, who we were?" Andrina clarified, still not able to look at him.

"Yes," he answered, Charming's advice still fresh in his mind. _Honesty of the heart. _Though unwilling to part with Belle's friendship, and still too clarify to her that he was not in love with her, he'd told _her_ of Baelfire and his motives. She was his only friend. Being honest with Andrina was even more imperative, he knew.

"I saw the girl, I know she's living with you, I know who she is," Andrina stated quietly still unable to meet his gaze. For the moment, the betrayal she felt was drowned out by the pain welling up inside her that brought tears to her eyes, which dried in the wind as she stared out onto the waves of cold water she'd recently experienced. "She's the Beauty and you're the Beast; how could I compete?"

"What?" Rumpel asked, completely bewildered by her train of thought and not comprehending the direction the conversation was suddenly taking. He figured he'd have to explain Belle to her, but he'd rather hoped to get his explanation first, know why she'd run out on him. Andrina turned to look at him, her eyes bright green in the sun reflecting off the water that for a moment he was dazzled.

"It was always my favorite fairytale, or at least as Lucy it was," Andrina confessed as her eyes got a far away look in them and her voice became hollow as she lost herself in thought once more about who she was, and what it meant to be _good_. "I always felt, that _that's_ what true love is. Loving someone despite their outside appearance and their flaws. Falling in love with someone for _everything_ they are.

"So how could I compete with a beauty with a heart of gold? And what was I, a game Rumpel? Or a consolation because you thought she was dead and you knew that I couldn't say no to you because my heart sang to you?" Andrina couldn't help asking, her voice sharp like jagged shards of ice. However, after looking at his stunned expression she turned away from him and shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, because I'm not supposed to be part of your fairytale!"

"Andrina-"

"No, Rumpel, you've made your choice clear. She's living with you!" Andrina stated, getting to her feet and dropping his jacket on him. She felt a pang of heart-wrenching sadness as she watched him try to get to his feet, with the aid of his cane. However, she ruthlessly shoved it aside while her stomach twisted itself into tight coils at what she knew what she must do if she were supposed to be _good_. "I'm not going to be _that_ girl- the one that can't let go and _bitterly_ holds on to something that's _never_ been hers. I.. I want you to be happy and if that's what she makes you happy... I have to walk away."

Andrina could barely manage to choke out the words as her throat closed up and tears spilled down her cheek. Turning away, she gasped for breath and looked for an escape, not wishing him to see her break down. There was a rushing sound in her ears, that made her deaf to his pleas and words.

Bringing her hand to her mouth as the first sob escaped her lips, Andrina took off at a run, needing to get far away from the man who'd broken her heart irreparably.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **This chap took place during the end of "The Doctor" ep. Let me know what you think about how the story is developing, please. Or anything you'd like to see.

And for everyone who has reviewed, words cannot express how glad I am that you take the time to do so.


	30. Chapter 30: We Are Both

Regina sat in a chair in her study, reclining back with her legs crossed and a glass of cider in her hand as she watched the figure, passed out on her pristine white couch, which had to be covered with a sheet to keep it pristine white. Briefly, her eyes raked over her half nude form, the pale skin covered in minor scrapes, bruises and dirt. She considered the hip-length, silky black hair that lay, surprisingly tangle free and contrasting starkly against the backdrop.

_She really is beautiful, even more so than her sister, _Regina pondered as she drained her glass of cider, completely unamused by the thought. When she'd come across the girl, passed out on the side of the road on her way home, she had been mightily tempted to rip out the girl's heart. After all, she hadn't forgotten the humiliation the girl and her older sister had put her through. However, it was only by remembering Henry's face, and the promise that she had made him, that had staid her hand.

It was only after some minutes of deliberation, that she decided to cart the girl home and wait for her to come to.

As she stared at the still unconscious figure of the young mermaid trapped by Regina in human form, she pondered the day that the girl had stormed into Jiminy's office during her... _chat_ with the _man_. She could still remember the look of the girl's eyes, which she knew to be green. That day, the pupil had dilated to the point that only a slight rim of green was visible.

It had been so startling and frightening to Regina, that she momentarily was at a loss of words. It was only when she composed herself, that she managed to sneer at the girl's condition.

When Rumpel had been so unwilling to help her with her... mermaid problem all those years ago in their world, Regina was forced to find another avenue for her problem. It was by mere coincidence that she met the cecaelian sea-witch and learned more than she ever had known before about mermaids. Enough that even all these years later, she knew how she was supposed to recognize a mermaid that was... _devolving_.

Ursula had taught her how to recognize the signs. "_It's in the eyes. After all, they are the window to the soul. If the pupil has consumed the colored portion of the iris, what do you think that says about the merperson's soul?"_

Knowing what she knew, Regina wondered as she watched the still sleeping girl, who her heart's mate was and why it was that it was destroying her heart. _Probably wouldn't be able to do anything with her heart anyway, if I had ripped it out, _she thought as she set her glass aside, while thinking back to the conversations that she had with Ursula.

"_Could you even harvest a heart like that?" _Regina remembered asking.

"_I'm sure it's possible, but it will be turning into a block of ice, difficult to destroy and impossible to manage," _Ursula had theorized, while tossing back her head, momentarily distracting Regina with her white hair, coifed up. It was long enough that it seemed to stand several inches up on her head, and yet malleable enough that every time she tossed her hair, the white locks reacted as though a wind blowing through stalks of grain.

If Regina was going to take any mermaid's heart, it would have to be one that was... whole. Not one that was losing herself. However, she brushed the thought aside. She _couldn't_ go around tearing out people's heart's. She'd promised Henry. _And he's fond of this girl_, she thought to herself belatedly with a frown.

A sudden stirring on the couch had Regina tensing. Getting up, she tried to put more distance between herself and the creature. Regina wasn't sure what she'd be dealing with when it came to. She wasn't sure if it would be a haughty princess who mistrusted her and treated her with disdain, or a black-eyed creature intent on destruction. Whatever the case, Regina felt it would be much safer if she stood back and away.

Eyes fluttered slowly awake. Andrina felt the soreness in her body and for a moment, wondered where on earth she was and what had happened. Shutting her eyes against the light stabbing them, she slowly raised herself on her arms. Where she was, was warm and soft. She guessed as she fully sat up, her legs curled slightly under her, that she was not outside.

_What had I been doing? _Andrina wondered to herself before it all came flooding back to her. She ignored the harsh ache in her heart as she recalled running through the forrest, trying to get home. The last thing she remembered before her world turned black was a rip of agonizing pain tearing through her body so intense that it sent her crashing to the ground. She recalled rolling on the ground due to the momentum of her running, but hardly felt the bumps and scrapes, as they were nothing compared to what was happening inside her.

She recalled writhing on the floor when she finally stopped rolling. It felt as though bolts of lightning were coursing through her, turning all her muscles to jelly as something inside her was torn, causing her to double over. Vaguely as the pain was starting to recede, she recalled crawling, trying to get to safety or help, but the world was blackening around her.

Snapping her eyes open, Andrina was shocked to find that she was seated in a very expensive, and warm sitting room. She felt almost as though her heart stopped and her body tensed as she saw that across from her, on the other side of the room, stood none other than Regina.

Her eyes narrowed, she was sure she could feel adrenaline pumping into her exhausted system. But her limbs still felt clumsy due to their weakened state. She knew this as she lethargically tossed uncooperative legs over the couch so that she could stand. "What did you do to me?" Andrina asked through gritted teeth, pausing after every word as she struggled to her feet.

"Me? I didn't do anything to you. I found you passed out, on the side of the road," Regina replied, watching very closely as the girl got to her feet and marveled at the fact that she seemed so completely unconcerned with the amount of skin she was showing. _What do I expect? She's a mermaid. They're half-naked most of the time. She must be used to showing lots of skin. _

Andrina furrowed her brow at this and watched Regina suspiciously as she stood. She could feel her legs shaking, the muscles threatening to give out. "Why should I believe you?"

Regina shrugged though Ursula's words still wrung in her head. "Because if I was going to do something to you, I would have ripped out your heart while you were sleeping, but it would be pointless," Regina admitted, figuring that at this point honesty might do her better. Though the mermaid princess was presently weakened, Regina didn't want to risk the girl blacking out.

"_The process of devolving is slow. Taking weeks. When the blackouts begin, they become increasingly longer until the merperson can no longer awaken and is completely over-taken by... the other. When __blacked-out, even before the process has been complete, they are dangerous. They won't remember themselves, won't recognize friend from foe; they do not know pain, do not know exhaustion. All there is, is a unstoppable will to destroy, without mercy or discrimination."_

"What are you-" Andrina started, feeling confused and angry at Regina; as if the woman was implying that she had no heart. Regina stared at the princess for a moment, her brow furrowing as she tilted her head to the side and observing the girl even more closely. A bizarre thought struck the older woman as she stared at the young woman.

"You don't realize what's happening, do you?" Regina asked, almost amused. However, there was an odd sensation forming inside her. She almost felt like her old self, when she could feel empathy for others. She felt... _sorry_ for the girl opposite her.

"What are you-"

"You're devolving," Regina interrupted, raising her voice only enough so that it was slightly louder than the princesses'. She said it in a firm tone, void of emotion.

Andrina froze, her eyes going wide as she stared for a moment shocked at the older woman. "How do you..." Andrina started to say, the words escaping her in her shock before shaking her head. _It isn't possible. It simply isn't_, Andrina told herself. _Humans don't know about us, they couldn't possibly know what happens to a mermaid whose lost their mate and lost the ties that anchor them._

_Then how does she know the name of the process?_ Another voice in her head questioned, which she was sure had to belong to the rational half of her mind.

"How do you know that term?" Andrina asked shakily, her chest heaving as she struggled to remain calm. Regina's eyes were drawn to the girl's pale chest, a stark contrast from the black lace bra that covered her breast.

"I met a cecaelia," Regina replied tersely, her eyes flitting back up to meet the dark green orbs staring at her. Andrina's legs finally gave out under her and she fell unceremoniously back on the ouch she'd been previously laying on.

Some of her lessons from when she was a child sprung to mind. History, the Cecaelia were a race of half-human, half-octopi sea creatures. It was legend that they'd once been merpeople, but a King from thousands of years before, had cursed them as punishment for trying to overthrow him and exiled them from Atlantica. While they were cursed they lost their appealing figure and became hideous, their enchanting voices were also stripped from them. But the magic remained, in one form or another within them.

They had bred into a race of their own, and were a troublesome people, with vengeful spirits. Peace could never be obtained between the two races.

"You might be familiar with her, after all, your sister's husband killed her," Regina went on, her voice only registering to Andrina as though from under water. "Ursula."

The Sea-witch's name brought forth a series of bad memories. Andrina wasn't sure why, but Ursula had always had a personal vendetta against her father and for as long as she could recall, had always caused her family strife. _Ursula is dead, get a grip!_

_But her sister, Morgana, still lives, _Andrina reasoned with herself, thinking of Principal Orsa. However, Andrina brushed these thoughts away. She had no time to ponder them at present and instead locked eyes once more with Regina. "What do you want with me?

"Nothing," Regina stated, feeling somewhat offended. "I have absolutely no use for you. Besides... I promised Henry I wouldn't do magic anymore."

Andrina paused to consider this, weighing what Regina was saying in her head. She did not trust the woman before her. However, she considered what she said and what she knew. Henry was living with David Nolan, or rather, _Prince Charming_. And she _had_ seen Regina talking to Jiminy.

"_What you must know, is magic always comes with a price, but it is also addictive to use. Once you start using it, it becomes very difficult to stop. Which is why so many of our rulers die before they even reach a hundred years of age. They abuse their power with the trident. Which is why, all of you must know how to moderate your use of your magic with the trident. You control the trident, you must not allow it to control you." _It was one of the first lesson's their father had taught them.

It almost made sense, if Regina was to be believed. Andrina imagined that like Rumpelstiltskin, Regina must have a dependency on magic and was seeing a therapist to try and free herself of her addiction. Much like a alcoholic or recovering drug addict might see a professional as part of their recovery.

For a moment, both women merely stared at one another, contemplating the other. For a long time, they stood in an awkward and tense silence. Andrina was content to ignore what Regina had said to her earlier, unwilling to contemplate _that_ at the moment.

"I have clothes you could borrow, so you can go home. If you like, I you could draw you a bath and you can change after, as I highly doubt that you care to return home in your present state," Regina commented, after clearing her throat and motioning to Andrina's state. Cautiously, she approached the seated and now silent girl who merely nodded her head in response. She didn't even react to Regina when she gently but firmly took her by the arm and helped her up the stairs and to her personal bathroom.

Regina was quick to seat the girl on the close toilet lid and draw the girl a bath, as somehow she doubted the girl would be able to stand in a shower, when considering she had struggled up the stairs, even with Regina's help.

"I'll be waiting in the room, I left you some clothes on the counter there," Regina said, turning her attention back to the seated and dazed princess and pointing to the counter next to the sink; her magnanimity was running out at this point, and she couldn't bring herself at present to help the girl undress, especially not when she had slept with the girl's elder sister and the girl had embarrassed her in her own office!

Andrina nodded absently. She didn't check if Regina had even fully shut the door before stripping herself of her undergarments mechanically. Dropping in the water and sitting herself down, she ignored the near scalding heat as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her, placing her head atop them.

The tips of her hair fell in the water and floated about her, like ink-stains. However, she paid it no mind as she lost herself in thought. As much as she wanted to ignore what Regina told her, and tell herself that Regina didn't know what she was talking about, she was seized by terror. As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't really continue to deceive herself.

She _was_ losing herself.

She _was_ devolving.

Burying her face in her arms, Andrina dissolved into tears.

Through the small crack in the door she had left, Regina could hear the girl crying from where she sat on her bed, staring blankly at the nearly-shut door. She felt a slight tugging at her heart, though, she was unsure why the girl's predicament affected her. However, when she thought of her life, she felt that she could empathize because she knew what it was like to be afraid of what you were becoming. To feel as though every step you took, were leading you somewhere you never intended, but there was nothing you could do to stop it.

XX

The water had gone cold by the time Andrina had stopped crying and could bring herself to wash the dirt and grime off her body, not registering at all the slight burn every time she brushed a cut or scrape. Getting to her feet, she pulled a towel and wrapped it around her body, flipping the braid she had put her half wet hair in, over her shoulder. Though Regina had set clothes out for her to wear, Andrina ignored them and headed towards the door, stepping out.

Regina's head snapped up, from where it was bent so that she stared at her hands in her lap. Her mind seemed to distantly and very slowly register the fact that the girl was standing, still wet and covered only by a towel that didn't even reach mid-thigh. Her eyes were pink-rimmed and now that she was clean, her skin seemed so pale that she appeared to be sick. Her long hair was braided out of her face and fell down her back.

"Do you think that if you took out my heart, it might... halt or delay the... process?" Andrina asked quietly, her voice sounding far too numb and detached, even to her own ears. Andrina felt that she had wept out all her tears, and while the release had felt cathartic, she now felt emptied. She felt as though she had been hollowed out, but she supposed that was better than the hurt or the anger.

She was simply so... detached from her life at present, that she didn't care that she was talking to Regina, the Evil Queen. _Someone_ had to know what was happening to her to explain it once she was gone, she figured that since Regina was already given their secrets by Ursula, it may as well be her. After all... it wasn't like she wanted to reveal her condition to her family. She didn't see the point of making them concern themselves when there was nothing they could do about it. She didn't want to hurt the people she loved for so long. Didn't want to make them witness as she very slowly lost herself.

Regina frowned and considered what the girl was asking. "I'm not sure," she responded slowly. "I've never pulled out the heart of a... merperson, much less one who's... undergoing such a change."

Andrina nodded her head and looked away, she'd already known there was no hope for it. "I didn't think you would, even to us... any cure is unknown. There is no way, we know, to stop it."

"If I keep the heart of someone... I can control that person, and as they are physically detached from their heart they don't really feel things. It's almost as though they've become... numb to their emotions. However, I don't know if a merperson's heart differs from a human's. But Ursula had me understand that the heart of a merpeson undergoing the change becomes... ice, harder than any diamond and completely impenetrable, which is why it would be difficult to destroy and impossible to control."

Andrina nodded her understanding, absorbing everything that Regina said, before turning back to face Regina. "Why are you being... nice to me?"

"I'm not," Regina denied, shaking her head slightly.

"You haven't attacked me, or done anything to harm me. You brought me to your home, let me rest, let me clean up, and now you're explaining a form of your magic to me. I believe for you, that is a considerable act of kindness," Andrina stated blandly, still completely emotionless as she looked into Regina's eyes, causing her to blush. "Do you even know who I am? Know my name?"

"I don't see how that matters."

"Because I'm a stranger to you. But worse yet, I threatened you, and helped my sister defy you. I know _that_... was a grievous offense to your pride," Andrina explained, before going on with a shrug. "It would have been to mine."

Regina said nothing in response to this and Andrina turned away, listening to the eerily silent home. For a moment, she contemplated its size. Even for two, it was monstrously big; now with Henry gone she imagined that the ex-Mayor's manor had become more of a prison, one devoid of any human contact and which's very emptiness must be stifling.

A sudden pang in her heart of pity, rippled inside Andrina like a stone in a pond. Turning to Regina, she found herself wondering about what pain-riddled, lonely path had led the woman before her to be the woman she was now. _I suppose she's tired of her empty home. Must be lonely being her. _

"You should get dressed, dearie," Regina stated firmly, ignoring all the girl had said and refusing to answer to it. She turned around as though she were about to walk out. "I'm sure your family will start to get worried, it will be dark soon."

However, before Regina could exit her bedroom, she felt a hand close on her shoulder. Turning around questioningly, she felt a pair of lips brush against her cheek. She felt her breath catch in her chest, and her eyes widen as Andrina pulled away. Her green eyes had regained some of their light, and while her skin was still pale, it seemed to be regaining a healthier tinge to it.

"I don't think you're so far gone. I can see the light still inside of you," Andrina stated slowly. "Treasure it. You still have the will and choice, to be something other than feral."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Regina is one of my fave characters from the show, honestly. She's just so pretty and such a sad character, which is part of the reason why this chapter is mainly Andrina/Regina interaction. I figure at this point in the story, Andrina might feel more empathy towards the woman.

So the next chapter is almost done already so, maybe I'll update again soon. Maybe. Depends if I'm feeling up to updating again this week. To everyone that reviewed for the last chapter, thank you so much. You guys are awesome and hope you continue to enjoy the story.


	31. Chapter 31: Home

Andrina crossed her arms over her chest as she walked across the darkened lawn trying to figure out why she had been so... docile with Regina. She supposed that in part, she was simply too exhausted to be angry with her. Her energy was just... gone and considering the day she'd had, it was no surprise. And considering the emotional upheaval she'd been through, and what she knew she was becoming, she simply couldn't muster to bring up any hostility towards the brunette.

But... there was also more to it than that. She was sure that she had gotten a glimpse of who Regina might have once been, and she felt... sorry for the woman.

Knowing herself as she did, Andrina knew that there was a reservoir of kindness and gentility burred _somewhere_ inside herself. Knowing that soon she would lose all semblance of herself, she wanted to show a bit more of that side of her, than she'd ever known before because soon, it would be gone. The light that was once her life, would be completely snuffed out, and not even ashes of who she was would remain.

Exhaling, Andrina came to a stop and turned away from the front door. She didn't feel ready for what was coming, she didn't know what explanation she was supposed to give for her absence. Turning to her left, she was momentarily distracted by the helmed statue of Poseidon in the middle of the fountain on their lawn. For a moment, she was caught staring at the marble statue, her eyes drifting to the trident coiled in Poseidon's right hand.

Turning slowly towards it, she found herself recalling earlier in the afternoon when she'd come out of the water and lay on her back, panting as she stare up at the partly clouded sky. She'd seen, or imagined anyway, the likeness of Poseidon in the clouds and it had caused a strange thought to cross her mind. As she now stared at the statue, she found her gaze drifting to the sea-gods weapon.

_Could it be possible it's hidden in plain sight? _Andrina wondered. Stretching out her hand, Andrina focused all of her energy on what she wanted; trying to recall the sensation long ago of the powers that resided inside her. She felt her heart skip a beat when she suddenly felt as though the air around her had become charged.

Focusing all the more intensely, as a thrill of excitement hummed beneath her skin and seemed to vibrate like a guitar's string, she felt something shift. A cracking and rumble seemed to suddenly fill the air and Andrina watched with fascination as the marble along the trident cracked. She watched with hungry eyes as pieces of marble fell as a glow began to emanate where the marble had chipped away.

Slowly but surely, the glow of the trident started to grow. More chunks of marble fell away, falling with a plop in the water from the fountain. Before long all the marble was gone and its place was a golden trident, which broke away from Poseidon's hand and flew towards Andrina's outstretched hand. A grin spread across her face, and for the first time Andrina felt a semblance of happiness as she held the long handle in her hands and gripped it tightly, staring at the gold prongs with amazement. She felt her heart expand and lighten.

_I found the trident!_

Turning around, Andrina marched towards home, staring down at the handle and shaking her head in disbelief. Looking up, she used the trident without much thought and opened the door before she approached the porch with the familiar warmth of magic now flowing through her veins again. Stepping inside, she called at the top of her lungs, "Daddy."

However, the elation she felt at having found the trident, was short lived. As her father and came from the direction of the dining room, she knew by the look on his face that there was something wrong. Though she registered the shock in his ocean blue eyes for a moment when he saw the trident in her grasp, he still maintained a grave expression on his face.

"We need to talk," he stated as he walked over to her and pried the trident away from her hands and handing it into the waiting hands of Sebastian who'd followed her father out into the entrance hall when she'd come in.

"What's going on?" Andrina asked, her heart clenching in preparation for nasty news. However, her father shook her head and placed an arm around her shoulders, leading her into the dining room. Andrina came to an abrupt stop, freezing in the doorway for a moment, before her father forced her forwards. "What is she doing here?" Andrina grit out, her voice becoming gravelly an unnatural as her eyes narrowed on Red. Her hands balled into fist and she could feel anger begin to rise within her like a flood.

All her sisters were gathered around the table, and even Ariel and her husband were there. All of them bore matching looks of concern, and Ariel was weeping quietly into her husbands arms. Andrina was tempted to ask ironically, _who died? _But she didn't want to tempt fate that way. After all, what if someone had died?

"Ru- I mean Red," Attina started, her voice going shaky and not turning to look at Red whom she stood extremely close to as she gazed across at her younger sister with concern. "She came to tell us that she was worried about you. Rina, why didn't you tell me what happened the day we went to the diner, after I stepped back outside?"

Andrina was for the moment shocked out of her anger by her nickname from when they were small children. It had been so long since she had last heard it, that hearing again was like running into the ice-cold water. It was jarring.

Andrina watched with wide eyes as a tear fell from Attina's eye and watched as Red pulled her oldest sister into a hug. She looked towards her father, but was stunned to see that his deep blue eyes were glued to her, with the same distressed look in his eyes and he hardly seemed to notice anything else going on in the room.

"How many times, Andrina?" her father asked, the question coming out as he exhaled, a look of trepidation on his handsome features. Andrina could feel her heart's beat pick up.

"How many times what, Daddy?" Andrina asked, being determinedly obtuse. She knew what he was asking. She figured that while she was gone, Red had come to tell her sister her concerns and what she had witnessed. How many times had she had a meltdown in front of Red Riding-Hood in the last several days? Three?

She figured once Attina knew, she'd run to tell father. Add that to the foul moods and violent flurries Andrina suddenly went into lately, and the picture it painted was a grim one. Especially when considering that Attina _knew_ that she was in love. And Arista _knew_ she had shown interest in sex. However, Andrina didn't want them to know. She wanted to protect them from the knowledge for as long as she could. Now it seemed all her plans were spoiled.

"Andrina, don't play coy with me! You know what I'm asking! You're bright! You've got a tactical mind! Answer the question!" Her father boomed, his voice loud and demanding. It was almost enough to make her cringe away due their proximity, but years of training allowed her to remain poise and unmoved. She wanted to be obstinate in her resolve, maintain her line, but when she saw a tear slip down his cheek, she felt her will crumbling.

"Five," Andrina replied in a small voice, to the collective gasp of most gathered there. She'd been keeping track, even though she hadn't wanted to acknowledge what the jolts of pain could mean.

"I don't understand," Eric stated into the rooms deathly quiet, but for Ariel's sobs which only became louder. Andrina shut her eyes, wishing to drown out the sound as she heard Attina's quiet weeping join her younger sister's.

"Mermaids have only ever one mate," a voice explained solemnly, causing Andrina to snap in the direction to notice that Caleb was there, along with two others of the guard, standing in the entrance which lead to the kitchen. She hadn't noticed their presence before. "Which they love for as long as they live once they've found them. When a mermaid loses their mate, they can lose themselves unless they are anchored. The ties that bind them are the bonds of love they have with others, when a mermaid or merman devolves, each of these ties is severed, one by one. Each broken tie is a painful shock to the body, getting progressively more painful. The merperson devolving, starts experiencing black-outs in which the other begins to emerge."

"The other?" Eric asked, his brow furrowing.

"The other is what we call them, it is a creature that knows only a desire for destruction and nothing else. It cannot reason, it has no memories or feelings; it has no needs for food, or rest, it does not know pain," Caleb went on explaining. "When all the binds are broken, all that will be left is_ the other_ and the merperson is forever lost."

_When put like that, I guess someone has died or at the very least is on their way there, _Andrina thought dryly, wishing to detach herself from her surroundings. In reality, she knew all this. She knew what was happening to her and what would be the end result. She couldn't bear the thought of her breaking the hearts of all of her sisters and her father.

"But... isn't there a way to stop this?" Eric asked, looking around almost desperately as he tried to calm Ariel. However, his features had gone pale and he felt Ariel shaking her red-head into his chest.

"There is no stopping it," Andrina deadpanned. She felt the eyes of everyone in the room drift towards her, could almost smell the tears falling on each of their cheeks.

"But your father, didn't you lose your mate, why didn't you-" Red was asking, her voice sounding shrill while her face struggled to keep from crumbling.

"His majesty had bonds too strong to break, to his daughters. The love of a parent for a child is the only bond that can rival the bond of a mate," Sebastian answered as he caught Aquata in his arms as her wails joined that of her sisters.

Andrina was starting to feel like she couldn't breathe. The air had become to thick and warm. The collective cries of her sisters had her heart stuttering and her breaths becoming shallow. Before she knew what was happening, she doubled over and groaning as she was struck suddenly by pain. She felt herself fall to her knees, while arms attempted to grasp her arms and keep her upright. She felt something else snapping inside her, however, blackness soon shrouded her and she was free of the pain.

XX

When Andrina came to, it was to the sensation of fingers running through her hair. Opening her eyes slightly, she noted that she was in her room, which was dimly lit as it was in the early hours of the morning and that she felt feverish; her body felt like one giant bruise. "What happened?" she asked quietly, not needing to look up to know who was with her. For a moment, she was struck by nostalgia as she recalled many times when she was sick, both the false memories as Lucy and her own memories, of Attina looking after her and comforting her.

"You blacked out," Attina replied softly, her voice coming out in a croak despite whispering, trying to push out the sight of her sister being restrained by four men. It had been frightening to see Andrina thrashing around wildly, her hands clawing at anything near to her while she grunted and screech with preternatural fury; even clawing at their father's face when he first tried to get ahold of her.

In the end, they'd had to restrain her by tying her wrists tightly behind her back and binding her legs as well with the use of the trident's powers. It wasn't until long past midnight that the other finally receded and Andrina seemed to fall into a very heavy sleep. Their father had then unbound her and carried her to bed, and though very reluctant, allowed the rest of his daughters to stay with Andrina before retreating to his study.

However, Attina didn't want Andrina to know all this. It would crush her.

There was a long pause as Andrina burrowed deeper into the warmth of her older sister, felt Attina's arms tighten around her, and inhaled the familiar scent wafting from Attina. "That wasn't the first time you blacked-out, was it?"

"It was the second," Andrina responded, slowly pulling away from Attina and raising herself. When she looked around, it was to the shock of seeing that Ariel was curled up asleep behind her and that the rest of her sisters were sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags around her bed. Her eyes widened to find her room invaded by all six of her sister, and she almost laughed. It was like when they were little girl's in the palace and all slept in the same room!

"They didn't want to leave you, none of us did," Attina explained softly. A tense silence fell between them, as they both tried to ignore the words left unsaid. _They all want to spend time with me, before I'm gone, _Andrina thought.

"So... you and Red?" Andrina asked, wishing to fill up the silence and distract them while simultaneously trying not to think of Red too much to avoid the swell of anger she was sure would follow.

"She clarified a few things, before telling me _why_ she was concerned for you. Turns out the version of Red Riding-Hood we've heard, is not quite the true story," Attina explained. Andrina raised a brow, intrigued as they both sat up against the headboard of her bed. "It seems... she's a werewolf, and the red hood she bore was enchanted to keep her from transforming when the moon was full. She told me she'd once thought she was in love with a boy, and planned to run away with him, but she killed him... which is how she discovered what she was. Her grandmother hid the truth from her, to protect her, her whole life."

"What about the girl, the one from the diner?" Andrina asked, still processing the news she'd just received and feeling stunned.

"She'd just a girl, who needed help. You know, Red, she can't help making friends and once she's made them she'll do anything for them. But she made it very clear that they are only friends, and that she hasn't been with anyone since before the whole Kathryn Nolan disappearance," Attina explained, with a small smile lighting her face.

"Does that mean you've worked out your issues and are back together?" Andrina asked, to which Attina nodded.

"I spent some time yesterday explaining things to her of our people, kissed her and confirmed my belief that she's the one my heart sings to and I can feel her heart respond. We've agreed to take things slow and keep it to ourselves for the moment."

"So Dad doesn't know yet?" Andrina asked, to which Attina shook her head. "Well for what it's worth, I'm proud of you. And I'm happy for you both," Andrina smiled flinging her arms around her sister and willing the tears in her eyes away.

"Hey, what did we miss," Andrina pulled away and turned with Attina to look over on Ariel's other side and saw the blond head of Arista poking over the side of the bed as she sat up from where she'd been slipping on the floor. Her short hair was mussed and sticking out in such a way that had Attina giggling behind her hand and Andrina laughing loudly enough that the rest of her sisters began to stir.

"Oh would you all shut your infernal racket?" Alana asked, her voice slightly muffled at the end by her yawn, from where she lay on the floor at the foot of Andrina's bed. Andrina rolled her eyes and smiled fondly as she felt Ariel glomp her at her side.

"You're just mad because Attina and Ariel nabbed the bed and you had to sleep on the floor," Adella called from where she lay beside Arista on the floor, crammed in between her peroxide-blonde sister and the window. Andrina turned and watched as Aquata slowly sat up from where she lay on the floor next to where Attina had slept.

"Hey, I got the honor because I'm the eldest," Attina called out, her amusement showing through in her voice as she winked at Andrina who laughed.

"And I'm the baby," Ariel called from where she had her head buried into Andrina's waist and her arms wrapped around her elder sister, lifting her head only to stick out her tongue at the other's.

"Some baby you are, you're the first one of us to be married," Arista teased, causing Adella beside her to giggle. "Speaking of babies, when are you and Eric planning to make one? Or is one in the works? Because you know, we all need a little nephew or niece to spoil rotten."

Andrina laughed as she watched Ariel's face coloring. She knew from the shade of red her face was turning, almost the exact shade of her hair, that she and Eric were most certainly trying.

"Arista, that's gross. I don't want to think of Ariel having sex with Eric!" Attina cried indignantly.

"Here here," Alana called from where she lay still on her back with her arms crossed over her eyes, her black curls all tied up individually with dark pink ribbons.

"Well what about you, Attina, when are you and Red finally tying the knot that you've finally gotten back together?" Arista asked, crossing her arms over the bed-spread and resting her chin on her arms while staring at Attina intently.

Attina shook her head at this. "We haven't talked about that, we've only just gotten things straightened out."

"I know what you all are doing," Andrina stated with a sad smile when she couldn't take all the banter anymore. As soon as she spoke, a quiet descended upon them all and they all felt their spirits lower. "I appreciate it, but we can't pretend forever that nothing's happening and that everything is normal."

Immediately she felt Ariel and Attina sitting tighter against her. Arista sat up on the bed, squeezing in next to Ariel while Alana and Adella sat at the foot of their bed. Aquata remained where she was, sitting on the floor next to Attina. All their expressions were filled of sadness, and yet determination. "We can't lose you, Rina."

Andrina felt her throat tighten and shut her eyes. Leaning her head back against the headboard, she took a few deep and calming breaths before opening her eyes and looking at them all gathered around her. "You'll all still have five other sisters," she tried to joke. "It won't be so bad."

"Rina," Ariel stated, taking her hand in hers as the rest of her sisters shook their heads at her last statement. "How could you think that? There's no one in the world like you."

"Who did your heart sing to, Rina? Maybe it's all a misunderstanding-" Adella stated hopefully, her eyes wide and innocent as her long brown hair was braided down her back. Andrina shook her head sadly.

"It's not-" Attina stopped, causing everyone to look at her, her face turning slightly green. "It's not Regina, is it?"

Andrina felt her eyes widen. "What?!" she asked loudly, out of shock. She took a moment to compose herself. "Why would you think that?"

"When you came home, you were wearing her clothes. Because everything that was going on, I din't really think about it, but... I recognized her clothing," Attina stated, her face coloring slightly as she remembered her very brief affair with the Mayor. Which had ended, thanks in part because Andrina helped her break up with the woman.

"No!" Andrina replied, shaking her head fervently. She knew that she felt pity for the woman and she could see that there was a softer side there, but she _definitely _did not see Regina like that.

"Then why were you wearing her clothes?" Arista asked in confusion and very clear disgust.

"I lost my clothes when I decided to go for a swim at the beach. I thought that if I swam in seawater... it might help me feel more at peace," Andrina explained, looking down at her hands on her lap. "When I blacked out, I woke up in her house. She let me shower and lent me a change of clothes. It seems she was the one that found me and since she's lost her son, I think she's been trying to be a better person to prove to him she can change."

"Are you sure she didn't do anything to you?" Attina asked, worrying her bottom lip.

"I don't think she did," Andrina stated, unwilling to tell her sister's that she had considered allowing Regina to pull out her heart if it would stop the process. "But would it really matter at this point?"

All her sister looked away at this.

XX

Andrina spent the majority of the day with her sisters, alternating between laughter and sadness. At times, as they all crowded the living room, listening to music while telling stories, Andrina wondered when was the last time they'd spent so much time together like this. Or when was the last time they'd shared their secrets with each other.

_When did we even start keeping secrets from each other?_ Andrina wondered as she turned her gaze to Aquata who'd only minutes earlier had aired her feelings of inadequacy which only seemed to grow with every year. Andrina wondered as she stared at Aquata for a moment, when she'd stopped caring about Aquata's feelings. After all, she'd always known about the pressure that Aquata must have always felt, living directly under Attina's shadow, and always falling short of expectations as the second eldest. It didn't help matters that she had always been the least gracefull out of the lot, and for it made to feel like the ugly duckling who couldn't do anything right.

She felt her heart ache in her chest as she watched all of her sisters, blending and harmonizing their voices as they sang along to the Secret Door by Evanescence, and wondered when was the last time they'd sang together like this. The memory was clear, there in her mind now that all her true memories had been returned.

It had been at Ariel's coming out party in the palace. Except, they hadn't _all_ been there. At the moment that was supposed to be Ariel's grand entrance, their little red-headed sister had been missing. _Daddy had been furious. _

Andrina turned away from her sisters for a moment, and looked towards the door as she thought of her father. He, Sebastian and Caleb had all been locked in his office since the previous evening when she'd come home and hadn't particularly been seen since. Andrina wondered what they were up to and felt her heart ache at the thought of her father.

"_And I, I will remember how to fly. Unlock the heaven's in my mind. Follow my love through the same secret door,_" her sisters all sang, their combined voices harmonized so beautifully together that Andrina felt goosebumps. She smiled as she turned back to her sisters, clapping at their beautiful rendition of a hauntingly bewitching song.

However, the sound of approaching footsteps had her snapping her head to attention. Turning around and slowly getting up, she watched as her father came in, followed by Sebastian and Caleb. There were dark bags beneath her father's eyes, and he seemed decades older than Andrina could remember. However, there was a determined look in his eyes as he stared at them.

"We're going home," her father stated simply, into the now deafening silence

**TBC...**


	32. Chapter 32: Gone

**A/n:** Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I got a bit of writer's block halfway through it.

I'm gonna say this chapter takes place around the end of episode 7 of season 2, "Child of the Moon". I'm placing this at about three weeks or so since Andrina's Birthday.

* * *

><p><p>

Everything was going wrong.

Rumpelstiltskin felt himself vibrating with anger as he cleaned the littered floors of home after another one of his infamous... _tantrums_ which had leveled the majority of his sitting room. It had been over a week since he'd run into Andrina on the beach, and she'd left him without giving him a chance to explain circumstances.

She didn't give him a chance to tell her that the _only_ reason Belle had been living with him was because he didn't want to put her up anywhere else and run the risk of someone getting to her in order to get their revenge on him, and that Belle was no longer even living with him (after of course, the exact thing he was afraid of happening _did,_ in fact, happen. Though luckily they managed to find her before anything serious happened to her; apart from being abducted and handcuffed to a mine-cart, that is).

However, he at least had one thing clear from his little run in with Andrina. He was now certain that whatever the reason she'd left him and had not gone to see him since her birthday, had nothing to do with her no longer wanting him. The tears of heartbreak she shed were proof that she did in fact want him. Although, whether or not she regretted their having made love now, was still up for debate considering how things were going between them.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, straightening to run his fingers through his brown locks; his hand shaky and unsteady as it raked through his hair. He'd not seen his mermaid princess since that day on the beach, and the look on her face as her heart broke kept haunting his every waking moment. But as much as he wanted to explain things to Andrina and have a proper talk with her, she was simply nowhere to be found.

In fact, it seemed no one really saw much of the Davenport family these days. Since the curse had been broken, they had holed up and remained completely separate from the rest of the population. _Not really surprising_, he thought to himself, when considering _their_ attitude towards human's in general.

Of course, there was an exception. The red-headed sister, _Ariel._ She was living with her prince and he'd seen her about a couple times. Though she had disappeared from the public eye for several days, coincidentally after he spoke to Andrina.

Red was someone to consider. She'd been the only person he'd ever heard of, since the curse had broken, entering the _Davenport_ home apart form Ariel's husband. Rumpelstiltskin shook his head for a moment in frustration. He was starting to get very aggravated with Red and the way she always seemed to ingratiate herself with everyone and get in his way.

It wasn't enough that she'd made friends with Belle and tried to keep her from him as though he were a threat, but she also knew what was happening inside the Davenport home while he had no idea. Although, he supposed he should be grateful that in a way, she'd gotten Belle out of his hair and had distracted her with manning the Library.

He had his hands rather full at the moment, to have to really deal with her too. Between being trapped in Storybrooke, being estranged from his true love, still not clarifying things with Belle while leading her on and helping Regina with Henry... he could hardly think straight. He was sure if this went on for any longer, he would surely lose his mind.

At this rate, he was going to destroy every object in his vicinity, he thought as he looked around his now straightened out living room. Though it was considerably barer than it had been before his rage took over and he lashed out with his cane at anything near him. Rumpelstiltskin sighed as he wondered how much more abuse his home and pawnshop could take.

As he reached to pick up the garbage bag, his heart seemed to clench painfully in his chest. Gasping for breath, he dropped his cane as his muscles coiled in on themselves for a moment. Reaching up with his hands, he clutched at his shirt, just over where his heart was. It felt as though his heart were caving in on itself and he couldn't breathe.

A few minutes later, when the pain receded and he felt he could breathe again, he slowly straightened himself, his brow furrowing. Picking up his cane, he turned away from the sitting room and headed out, his mind thinking only one thing; _Andrina._

XX

No one was home it seemed. _No matter_, he thought to himself as he stood in the hall outside the apartment. He could be patient when the situation called for it. Shifting his weight so that it rested mostly on his good leg, he held both his hands atop his cane and lost himself to his thoughts. Though it pained him, he felt that he'd be cashing in his favor from Ariel rather sooner than he really wanted. However, it was necessary. After all, he highly doubted the girl would volunteer information on her older sister willingly.

Straightening his spine as he heard approaching footsteps, he reminded himself that though he was here to intimidate the girl into giving him information, that he had to tread lightly. After all, Andrina was already upset with him. He was sure if it got to her that he'd threatened one of her sisters, that he'd be in much deeper... waters.

Down the hall, not ten feet from where he stood waiting, he saw as Ariel rounded the corner from the stairs and started walking slowly towards the door to the apartment she now shared with her husband. Rumpelstiltskin schooled his features as he studied the far away look in her eyes as she approached. It seemed she was too lost in her thoughts to take notice of his presence, until she finally looked up when she was four feet before him.

The lost and broken look in her ocean-blue eyes was swiftly replaced by surprise and slight fear. For a moment her body tensed, while the color faded from her pretty, young face. However, despite her apprehension and the fear the girl must've felt, she straightened her spine as she looked him dead in the eye; a look of determination came over her face, her lips becoming a slight pout as she approached and stopped a foot away from him.

"Rumpelstiltskin... what can I do for you?" Ariel asked; he was somewhat impressed that her voice only trembled slightly as she addressed him as politely as she could muster. He didn't say anything for a moment as he merely continued to stare at the girl, taking in her facial features; she looked remarkably like Andrina. The resemblance really was uncanny. If it were not for the dramatically different color of their hair and the difference in eye color, and the fact that Andrina was a bit taller and her cheekbones slightly more pronounced, they would be identical.

"I was wondering if perhaps we might have a chat... in private," he stated in such a way that it was clear that this was not a request.

Despite her youth, Ariel seemed to understand this and nodded her head, as someone without a choice might. Stepping carefully around him, she pulled a set of keys from the small clutch she carried around her wrist and opened the apartment. Stepping lightly inside, she stood by the door and motioned silently for him to come in, which he did. After which the young princess closed and locked the door, though she seemed to hesitate in doing so.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Ariel asked when she turned around and found that he was watching her. Rumpelstiltskin smiled slightly in amusement. It seemed that despite her trepidation and his reputation, her etiquette was too ingrained into her behavior to allow her to treat him rudely.

"No, that won't be necessary," he replied, as he wasn't really in the mood to play games or waste time. A slight frown marred his features as Ariel moved away from the door and towards the couch, motioning for him to have a seat. However, he didn't move, so the princess remained on her feet by an armchair. "I'm sure you must remember, but in case twenty-eight yeas has made your memory foggy, you owe me a favor."

Ariel visibly swallowed as she nodded her head, the look of irritation increasing. "Yes," she stated curtly, looking back at him with her eyes narrowed in what appeared to be uncertainty, her tone clearly saying, _as if I could forget_.

"I've decided on my price," he stated, to make sure that he had her full attention. "I want your sister, Andrina."

Ariel's brows contracted, even as her eyes seemed to glaze over. The heart-broken expression returned to her face, as her eyes became glassy. It took Ariel a few moments to blink away the tears that had suddenly come over her eyes, to be able to focus once more on the man standing opposite of her. But as her eyes fell on him, they became hard, even as her skin remained sickly pale.

"Andrina is gone-" she just managed to say, before her hand suddenly flew to her mouth and she turned to take off running. Rumpelstiltskin's brows knit together in confusion, before he heard the unmistakable sound of retching. _That's interesting, _he thought as he continued to listen to the girl, before he heard the sound of flushing and then running water. It was a few moments more before the girl returned.

"I'm sorry, I think I've come down with the flu," she was apologizing as he impatiently waved off her apologies. _I guess she doesn't know, _he thought briefly before focusing on the matter at hand.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" he snapped, his voice becoming louder in the sense of panic that was taking over him.

"I mean... whatever you've planned for her... whatever it is you need her for, it won't work. She's beyond your reach now... she's beyond everything," Ariel told him, her face stony, even if grief was apparent in her eyes. Rumpelstiltskin felt his heart clench in his chest. His hands tightened over the top of his cane as before taking a couple menacing steps towards the girl.

"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention, dearie. You owe me something in turn for what I did for you back in our world. Now you could either deliver me your sister, or I will ask for something much more... _precious_ from you. Something growing inside you, this very moment," he stated meaningfully, his voice dropping lower, causing Ariel's eyes to widen. "Now tell me _exactly_ what you mean, when you say she is gone?"

"Why do you care, what do you want her for?" Ariel asked loudly, her cheeks flushing even as her hands curled over her still flat stomach in a protective gesture.

"That's my business," he replied tartly, baring his teeth as he leaned down over the girl. "Now, answer my question."

Ariel set her lips in a straight line stubbornly and looked down at her stomach where her hands were coiled. A war waged inside her head; Rumpelstiltskin wanted her to betray her family, mostly her sister. However, if she didn't, he'd would take her baby.

Even though she knew it could simply be a ruse on his part, something told her he wasn't lying about the life growing inside of her. Staring down at her hands, splayed over her taut abdomen, she felt her heart swell and binding itself to the small girl or boy developing in her womb. She was falling in love with it already, and she couldn't bear the thought of giving it up, for anyone. Something that was fiercely protective was waking inside her and as much as she loved Andrina, she knew that the decision was already made.

"Andrina found the trident and daddy was able to use it to open a portal to our world. They are gone, and they're not coming back," Ariel confessed in a small voice, filled with shame as tears spilled down her cheeks. It was a secret that she hadn't even told with Eric as her father had forbidden it. Ariel could understand why... after all, if everyone in Storybrooke found out that her family had a way home to their own world, they'd be harassed by the entire town, and they could be in danger. Though Ariel had never agreed with the extreme separatism between her kind and humans, she understood the danger it posed to she and those of her family who had not gone back home.

Like Ariel, Attina had remained behind, along with Sebastian, who did not wish to return in case he was turned back into a crab. However, her father, her sisters and the remainder of the guard had all left earlier that morning after about a week of heavy debate between them all about whether or not they should separate.

Ariel stared sadly down, her eyes glossing over as she thought of Andrina who she was now betraying. _I'm sorry, Andrina, _she apologized as a tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek as she thought of all the wrongs she had committed where Andrina was concerned.

Out of all her sister's, Andrina had always been the one who tried to understand her and always protected her the most, and the one Ariel had treated the worst; at least in their world. She had distanced herself from Andrina out of horror and a strange sense of betrayal, when Andrina had done what Ariel was supposed to do. Ariel had never really paused to consider, what the act of drowning that man might have cost Andrina, or ever really cared that her avoidance of Andrina might be causing her sister pain. And now, Ariel was choosing the life of her unborn child, over her sister and family.

"Why did she leave?" a quiet voice, which seemed to reach through the heavy buzzing in her ears had Ariel looking up, even as she had slid to her knees in the sudden grief that overwhelmed her.

Looking up through tear-filled eyes, the words came tumbling out of her mouth with no filter. "Because she was losing herself," Ariel gasped as tears continued to flood her eyes and splash on her cheeks. Wrapping her arms around herself, Ariel attempted to contain the heart-ache she felt, even as her body started to rack with the intensity of keeping in her sobs. "Soon she's going to be all gone, and nothing but darkness. Daddy will have to put her down like she's a rabid dog and there's nothing anyone can do to save her!" Ariel cried, her throat tightening and making it hard for her to breath.

"She had to go to protect Storybrooke," Ariel stated, trying to take deep breaths through her tears and contained sobs. However, it was becoming very difficult to speak, and for Rumpelstiltskin to understand her. "And because it's not safe for her here, if she keeps blacking out. She wanted to be home, see it one last time before she slips away," Ariel sobbed, falling forward on her hands, as she finally gave in and cried for he sister she would loose and never see again, completely unaware that Rumpelstiltskin's heart was shattering.

**Tbc...**

**A/n:** So, I think its going to be a couple chapters before Andrina makes her next appearance, so bare with me and the next couple chapters. I hope that everyone enjoyed this one. I wanted to add a bit more to it before I posted it, but I figured you all have waited long enough.

As always, please review.


	33. Chapter 33: The Pieces

**A/n:** Chapter takes place at the end of episode 9, "Queen of Hearts".

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Attina sat back in her father's office chair -even though it had been weeks since he'd gone, she still couldn't bring herself to call it her own- and heaved an annoyed sigh. Rubbing her temples, she shoved away all the work that sat before her and put her head in her hands.

It had been a rough couple weeks, though she supposed that was to be expected when considering she had lost the majority of her family. Granted they were home, but Attina worried very much about whether they were all alive and well, most especially Andrina.

Feeling the familiar heartbreak she felt every time she thought of Andrina, Attina tried to distract her mind with other things. Since the departure of her family about two weeks ago, Attina had taken over the family business in Storybrooke. It was enough to occupy most of her time, not to mention all of her sanity, were it not for Sebastian sticking around. In part, Attina felt grateful of the merman's fear of becoming a crab as he was truly a great help to her.

Most of her free-time was spent with Ariel, as she and Red were currently in the midst of a spat. In wanting to be honest with her mate, Attina had revealed to Red that her family had gone back to their world and sworn her to secrecy. Though Ruby had grudgingly complied with her request to keep this secret from even her grandmother, the brunette hadn't liked it at all. She felt that Attina's family should have shared the portal opening with the rest of Storybrooke, instead of leaving in secret.

Sighing, Attina reached hand to her hair and pulled it free of the bun that confined the wavy, rich, brown locks. She closed her eyes for a moment as she massaged her scalp.

While Attina could see and understand Ruby's side of things, she still felt her family had done the right thing. The trident was theirs alone to wield. Revealing it's existence and by extension her people's existence to human's was not an option. Attina didn't understand how Ruby could not understand this. She felt that of all people Ruby as a werewolf, would understand what it was like having to hide what she truly was from the world from fear of being subjected to a mob's bloodlust.

Though perhaps, after the events of the first full moon Storybrooke had since the curse had broken, Ruby could no longer understand it. After all, she had finally shown all of Storybrooke who she really was and because of the protection of the Prince, had earned acceptance.

Attina didn't think that in their case, the same would occur. Twenty-eight years of living in Storybrooke hadn't garnered her or her sister's much acceptance from their peers. In fact, they had been ostracized. And outside from Attina where Ruby was concerned, none of her sister's had ever particularly branched out and cultivated any friendships.

Except for Andrina. Who'd made friends with the ex-sheriff. And who spoke to Dr. Hopper, or Jiminy Cricket as some knew him, on a weekly basis.

Getting lost in thoughts of Andrina, Attina found her mind wandering to the last time she had seen her sister and recalled how Andrina had pressed a letter in her hands, unbeknownst to the rest of their family. Andrina had asked Attina to give the letter to a man, if he ever came asking about her.

"_How do am I suppose to know who it is meant for?" _Attina recalled asking in a quiet voice so as not to be overheard.

"_I trust your judgement, I always have. You would have been a great Queen," _Andrina had replied, smiling almost sadly. Attina could feel her throat closing and tears build in her eyes as she remembered.

Opening the top drawer of her desk, Attina pulled out a white envelope addressed simply to "_R" _and stared at it, wondering about the contents of the letter and who the "_R"_ was that it was addressed to. Sitting back in her chair after shutting the drawer, Attina sat back and twirled the letter in her hands for a moment.

For a while, Attina had considered that perhaps it had been Sheriff Graham to who her sister's heart might have sung for. It made sense to her, after all, she'd once thought that perhaps her sister's involvement with the Sheriff hadn't been simply platonic and since the man was dead, it would make sense that her sister's heart might have been irreparably damaged.

However, Andrina had recovered from Graham's death. And, sometimes she'd even been happy. After all, when Attina had accused Andrina of being in love, it had been sometime after Graham's death.

Upon receiving the letter, Attina had it confirmed that Graham wasn't the love of Andrina's life because she was sure _that_ was to who the letter was addressed; you can't leave a letter for the dead. Unfortunately beyond that Attina had no clue who the letter might be for. She couldn't imagine anyone else her sister might have gotten to know in town with the exception of Dr. Hopper but as neither of his Alias' started with the letter R, Attina put him aside.

Sighing, Attina stood up, grabbing her purse with her free hand and sticking the letter into it. She had taken to carrying her sister's letter with her everywhere she went, as she didn't want to lose it or not have it on hand if the moment ever arose that she met who it might be addressed to.

As she exited the office and readied to head over to the Diner, not bothering to lock up as she usually left that for Sebastian, she wondered whether or not to simply read the letter. Though Attina was reasonably curious about what it might say and who was the man who'd destroyed her sister's chance at happiness, she was curious enough to break her sister's trust by violating her privacy.

However, despite the moral dilemma, she was feeling anxious about never finding the person to whom the letter was intended for. _What if they never get the letter? What if I give it to the wrong person? What if something happens to them because I can't get it to them on time? _

Attina was so distracted by these thoughts that she hardly paid any mind to her drive to Granny's Diner. Before she knew it, she was parked outside. Sighing, Attina got out of her father's car and made her way across the street.

It was still early for the dinner rush, so for the most part the Diner was empty. A tired smile came over her face as she spotted Granny before walking over and sitting at the counter before the old and tough woman.

Granny had always had a soft spot for Attina, even before she and Red had gotten _close_. Attina thought it was because Granny had hoped that Attina would rub off on Red and make her more level-headed. However, even after finding out the truth about their relationship, the woman had accepted it and Attina with figuratively open arms and with her usual frankness of character. Although, after being a werewolf herself, accepting the fact that her granddaughter's life-partner was a female was probably not that difficult for the old woman.

"Long day?" Granny asked astutely as Attina walked over to the counter and sat down at a stool. Placing her purse on the counter, Attina let out a long sigh.

"You have no idea," she replied as for the moment her eyes strayed to the clutch she carried and she got lost in thoughts of her family once more. "Is Ruby here?" Attina asked, slowly coming out of her reverie and looking over at gran.

"She went out earlier, I'm not sure where. I'm sure she'll be back soon," Gran responded from where she was busy with her ledgers. Attina merely nodded in response, her thoughts now wandering to her girlfriend.

Running her fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp, Attina wondered if she and Ruby were ever going to get their mess of a relationship properly together.

Though they had agreed to take things slowly, Attina felt like their relationship hadn't progressed at all. Apart from the fact that they were together and that both of their respective families knew the nature of their relationship, Attina felt that their relationship hadn't really changed and that Ruby wasn't giving it her all.

Ruby was angry about Attina's family being so secretive, and Attina felt that Ruby might be harboring some resentment towards Attina about how she'd ended their relationship the last time they were together. For her part, Attina felt a little injured that Ruby didn't include her in her own life or ever introduced her to any of her friends. Most of all, she felt upset that Ruby had been willing to give herself over to a mob, without a thought as to what it would do to Attina.

Of course when Attina had confronted Ruby about this, the werewolf-girl told her that she hadn't wanted to burden Attina when she was already going through so much with Andrina and that she was just in a very bad place at the time. While Attina could understand this, she still felt that Ruby should have gone to her. But, perhaps due to her guilt for how she had acted when they'd all been cursed, Attina let it go easily.

Attina had a feeling that soon, all the things left unsaid, was simply going to blow up in their faces and she was not looking forward to that.

"Are you all right?" Attina looked up and noticed that Granny was more or less watching her out of the corner of her eye. Attina merely returned the woman's gaze with a moment of uncertainty.

"Do you ever just feel... tired? Like if you could run away from your life, your memories or your thoughts, you would in an instant?" Attina asked slowly, her eyes glazing over as she thought about their cursed selves and wondered if it had really been all that terrible.

"No," Granny responded, and Attina felt her heart plummet. "Wha'ts on your mind kiddo?"

"Nothing, it's just been a long day. I'm just tired," Attina thought, though it was a severe understatement as she started to get up and picked her bag off the counter. "I think I'm just going to go home and lay down for a while. Could you please let Red know that I stopped by?"

Granny nodded, but Attina hardly paid it any mind as she took her leave feeling like every step she took as just a burden.

XX

Ariel walked down the street, her hair tied away form her face and a frown marring her young and pretty features. She should be happy, she thought to herself, having just come out of the hospital where she'd been checked over by Dr. Whale. She'd been a bit apprehensive about being seen with a man who had tried to date two of her sisters, but the Dr. Whale who treated her smelled slightly of alcohol and seemed too preoccupied to even do his job correctly, much less attempt to hit on her. However, despite the man's odd mood and his slight inebriation, he'd given her the news that confirmed what Rumpelstiltskin had already told her.

Ariel was certainly pregnant. According to Dr. Whale she was about four weeks along.

She hadn't told Eric, as she had been wary of mentioning Rumpelstiltskin to him. She didn't want him to worry. But on top of not telling him about her families departure, it was causing a strain on her conscience and she assumed it would cause a strain on their marriage. Although, she supposed that now that she'd been told by Dr. Whale that she was pregnant, that she would be able to tell Eric.

_Would he be happy_, Ariel wondered. She bit her bottom lip as she continued to walk not really paying attention to where she was going. Ariel was happy with the news. In fact, it was the only thing that had been able to lift her spirits, but now she was worried. Worried that Rumpelstiltskin might take away her baby, now that he could not have Andrina.

Another frowned marred her features. _Why did he want Andrina?_ Ariel wondered for what might have been the milliont time in the past couple weeks.

After Rumpelstiltskin had gone and after Ariel had recovered herself enough to think straight and beyon her grief, she thought of running to Attina about what just happened, but something stopped her. It was the shame of what she had just done, sold out her whole family for what could have been a lie and Ariel couldn't bring herself to tell Attina about it. Now as she made her way home, she felt the guilt eating away at her.

A bark, had her looking up and starting across the street. She paused for a moment in her walking and watched as Dr. Hopper crossed the street, in his hand a leash that was attached to a Dalmatian.

Ariel felt her heart clench at the sight as she was painfully reminded that Andrina had to go see him, because of her. Because Andrina took responsibility for something Ariel had done. Feeling her conscience eating away further at her insides, Ariel rushed away, with tears sprouting in her eyes.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** A special thank you to Glitter4Ever and SavySnape7, the only two people reading this who bother to review. I feel like I'm writing this story only for you two lol. I really appreciate that you take the time to review.


	34. Chapter 34: Trouble

**A/n: **Chapter begins in "The Cricket Game" ep (Episode ten that is). I'm setting the start of this chapter at about May 4th.

I want to thank _Savysnape7_ and _Glitter4Ever_ for reviewing so consistently. I really appreciate it.

To _Iroquois_, while I love Evanescence, I haven't been impressed by any of their studio albums since Fallen but then again that one was just a masterpiece. However, that being said I still very much enjoy their music like most of their songs and even a lot of covers they have done and I agree with you. Their latest album, many of their songs make me think of this fic. I was going to include the song "My Heart is Broken" in an earlier chapter.

To _Loving the Story_, I'm glad you've enjoyed the story and that I try to integrate events in the show into it. This season I haven't been watching as obsessively as last season, but I will try to continue doing that. However, I fear things might start becoming AU due to the whole Belle/Hook/Rumpel/Bael storyline. But thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

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Attina didn't know why she was still there, sitting in her car around the corner from the diner but she was at a loss with what to do with herself. She'd hoped today would be a good day. She'd hoped she'd get to see her girlfriend, but it appeared Ruby had other plans, plans that Attina wasn't invited to as Mary-Margaret and Emma Swan's welcome home party was a private affair and since Attina knew neither woman, it wasn't exactly her place to crash.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest. She could feel her skin getting hot, despite the early May chill, but Attina refused to let the anger get the better of her. But it was difficult to do. Especially when considering it was her birthday and that her girlfriend would rather spend it celebrating another pair of women over spending time with her.

Attina wondered if Ruby even remembered it was her birthday and wondered which would be worse. Ruby simply not really knowing it was her birthday, or Ruby simply spacing on the date. Or worst yet, Ruby knowing and consciously choosing to not be with Attina.

A knock on her window had Attina jumping. Turning to her left, she looked out the passenger window and felt her heart stop with dread. Standing on the other side, was none other than Regina. Despite being scared witless, Attina kept her composure and slowly lowered the window of her car.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked, after clearing her throat, but her voice still sounded thick and somewhat hoarse. Not having a response to this question, and too embarrassed to admit the truth, Attina merely chose to deflect.

"Hello Regina, it's been a while," she said, attempting to smile, but it was hard to do when considering how her brief affair with the ex-mayor had ended. It was made all the more difficult and strange when considering that Regina was a powerful sorceress, and the Evil Queen from the Snow White fairytale. A frown marred Attina's features suddenly, _wasn't that Mary-Margaret woman supposed to be Snow White? _"What are you doing here?"

Attina focused on the woman before her and felt another frown form on her face as she took in Regina. Somehow, the woman standing before her was not the image Attina held firmly in her head of the once powerful Mayor. She seemed different to the mermaid princess, changed somehow. It was like, the vulnerability Attina barely got a glance of before during their _relationship_, was now exposed to the world. Her eyes seemed somehow much sadder and almost... broken.

"Do you want to... get in?" Attina asked, before she could stop herself. She wasn't sure why she had asked the woman she'd slept with to come into her car, but... she felt that Regina perhaps needed someone to talk to. Preparing for Regina possibly getting into the car, she unlocked the car door, though a part of her doubted the older woman would accept her impulsive offer.

Regina seemed to hesitate before opening the car door and stepping inside. As she did this, Attina turned her attention to putting up the window, while feeling suddenly awkward as she recalled the fact that she had indeed slept with this woman and that, considering the fact that she was in a relationship, this was a bad idea.

Now all Attina could do was think about her relationship with Regina and compare it to what she had with Ruby. Sex with Regina had been exciting, it had been wild, but in the end, it had been just that, sex. Regina being the rather domineering type was always the aggressor and she carried that trait of her personality into bed, and Attina being more docile, fell into the submissive role easily. Though she and Ruby hardly even touched since they'd started up again, Attina could remember what it was like when they were _together_ and more often than not, they made love. It was always sweet, and loving and fulfilling.

However, she pushed these thoughts aside as she turned her attention to Regina who seemed as lost as Attina was on how to proceed. "How are you?" they both asked at the exact same time after what felt like the longest silence in history. They both laughed uncomfortably for a moment.

"I don't mean to pry, but is everything all right? You seem upset," Attina stated after another lengthy lapse into silence, asking as gently as she could muster, knowing that Regina could be rather prickly. She knew she made a misstep when Regina turned to her and the vulnerability that was there before disappeared and Regina's cold mask fell into place.

"I could say the same thing about you, dear," Regina stated coldly, though it lacked the usual bite that Attina had learned Regina was capable of delivering quite sharply. "You never did answer my question, what are you doing here?"

Attina turned away from Regina's searching gaze and looked in front of her at the boringly quiet Main Street. For a moment, she contemplated evading the question, but then thought better of it. Perhaps a little honesty on her part, would soften Regina up a bit. "It's my birthday. I thought I'd spend it with someone special but- I suppose I'm simply not that special."

Regina said nothing to this, staring at the sad princess before her for a few seconds and getting lost in her thoughts. Considering everything going on her life lately with her son's estrangement and her son's mother being stuck in another world, the young woman before her had slipped her mind. As did the fact that the younger woman's sister was. Briefly, she wondered about the younger Davenport girl and wondered how her condition was progressing.

Regina opened her mouth to ask, but felt that perhaps it wasn't her place. So instead, so that her ex-lover would not notice, she asked something else. "Why not spend it with your sisters?"

Attina, not wanting to get into the matter of her sisters, merely leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. "Because I wanted this year to be different. Wanted to break the monotony," Attina sighed more heavily and shook her head. "But turning twenty-three is nothing special to celebrate," Attina stated, not wanting to feel sorry for herself and turning her attention once more back to Regina.

"Nonsense dear, birthdays should always be celebrated," Regina offered, and attempted to smile. However, she failed miserably. Her mind was still on the conversation she'd just had with Emma Swan and the bitterness she was attempting to keep at bay. She was trying to change and make herself worthy of her son, falling back into old habits wasn't really a good idea and bitterness was simply a route back to her old, "evil" self.

"You never answered my question Regina, what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home... from Mary-Margaret and Emma's welcome-home party," Regina responded hesitantly, not sure how to phrase it, whether to go with just their first names or last, or to go with their Storybrooke names at all, although she supposed Emma Swan only had her Storybrooke name. Shaking her head, she thought dryly on how all this was enough to give someone a headache. She wondered how she did it for twenty-eight years.

"You were invited?" Attina asked, almost disbelievingly. Regina almost felt affronted but considering how badly things had gone, she didn't have the energy to allow it to take over. _It really was too much to expect anything different, wasn't it? After all, I'm the Evil Queen, _Regina pondered.

Melting into the seat, Regina leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling as traitorous tears sprung to her eyes. She just felt so tired, she was trying so hard and... nothing seemed to be going her way. _Then again, nothing ever had. _

"I was invited... it seems my son asked Emma to invite me," Regina stated when she was sure the tears would at least not color her tone. She wasn't why she was sharing considering how things were turning out with Dr. Hopper, spilling al her private conversations into others' ears. But... the girl seated next to her was different somehow... just like her younger sister. Regina sat upright, her eyes widening slightly as she turned to look at the girl next to her. "I'm sorry, dear, but... I don't even know your real name."

"It's Attina," the girl smiled, a faint flush touching her cheeks as she realized that the woman she'd slept with didn't really know her real name. "Your name is really Regina, isn't it?" Attina asked, to which Regina merely nodded, offering another weak and fake smile. "So Henry is living with his birth-mother?"

"Yes," Regina replied and turned away, making it clear it was not a subject she was ready to touch. "Why does wanting to celebrate your birthday bring you to main street?" Regina asked, trying to sound conversational as she turned back to Attina, but she had to clear her throat midway through asking her question and had to avert her eyes when she realized there were tears in them _again_. That was really starting to get annoying.

"Do you need a ride home?" Not waiting for an answer, Attina started up the car and started driving towards Regina's house. Considering it wasn't far from her own, Attian knew very well the route and it wasn't really all that far from the diner.

"I can't help thinking that you are avoiding the question," Regina stated in a soft, dry voice.

"Some things are best left unsaid," Attina replied airily, _Between ex-lovers, _Attina finished in her head.

Regina nodded to this and said nothing for a while, merely turning to look out the window as a sleepy Storybrooke seemed to flash by. It didn't take very long for Attina to arrive in front of the Mayor's Mansion. Regina looked at it forlornly, thinking about its emptiness and how much she was growing to detest the size of her luxurious home.

"Do you want to come in?" Regina asked, turning back to Attina for a moment. Attina started shaking her head but at the heart-broken look in Regina's eyes, Attina found herself accepting, even though she knew that Regina was likely a very unstable person and that her staying could cause a lot of problems between herself and Ruby, not to mention was potentially dangerous. However, she didn't have the heart to leave someone in need, so instead she cut the engine to her car and climbed out and followed Regina into her home.

Somehow the steps of their high-heels combined, clacking against the pavement, seemed to thunder and echo in the silence of the sleeping town. Attina prayed that her instinct that told her that Regina was trying to change and that she wasn't a threat to Attina, was not wrong while Regina cut on the lights and lead her towards her sitting room.

"Would you like something to drink?" Regina asked as she entered the warm space that was her sitting room and removed her coat. She attempted to ignore the fact that the couch that Attina was now sitting on was the very same couch that Regina had watched Attina's half-naked sister on a few weeks prior while younger woman slept unawares.

Attina shook her head in response, but Regina merely smiled at her, that smile that had tempted Attina into a date and so much more.

"Come dear, it's your birthday. You deserve a drink, especially if your plans were spoiled," Regina offered, and Attina found herself acquiescing. Regina smiled once more before turning away and pouring them both a glass from her crystal decanter, watching the pale amber liquid intensely in an attempt to remain in the now. On the couch, Attina reluctantly removed her coat and tried making herself more comfortable; least as comfortable as someone could be in a tight pencil skirt and button-up shirt while being in the presence of an "evil" witch.

As Attina set her coat aside, she turned her attention back to the other woman in the room and lost herself to her thoughts. As much as Attina loved Ruby and as much as Regina's darkness of character scared her, she couldn't deny that there was something alluring about Regina. The woman was absolutely beautiful on the outside, and as much as Attina could try to deny it, the heart-brokenness that Regina at times showed, made Attina want to love her and help her heal.

Attina snapped out of her thoughts, looking up as Regina handed her a glass with a smile. Attina reached up and took it, her fingers briefly ghosting over Regina and causing a flush to rise over her skin, blossoming on her chest and cheeks simultaneously. "Thank you," Attina said quietly.

"To your twenty-third birthday," Regina smiled, though once more it didn't reach her forlorn, but beautiful dark eyes as she raised her glass to toast the seated girl.

Attina briefly raised her own glass before slowly lowering her lips to the glass. She hesitated for a moment, thinking this was possibly the worst idea she'd ever had. But she shook it off immediately._After everything that's happened, I need a strong drink._

XX

"How come Attina didn't come?" Granny asked as she and Ruby locked up the Diner after waving off the Charmings and proceeding to clean up the aftermath of the party. Ruby didn't say anything for a moment as she moved from table to table, picking up trash and wiping down tables while keeping her back to granny.

"I wanted tonight to be about Snow and Emma, and not about the wolf-girl being lesbian. Besides, Attina's got a lot going on, I thought she could use the rest. She probably would have found tonight overwhelming," Ruby responded as nonchalantly as she could muster while continuing her cleaning. She wasn't necessarily lying to her grandmother, but Ruby still thought her grandmother would see straight through her if she turned to look at her.

"You could have let her decide for herself what she can handle," Granny stated in a tone that told Ruby that she disapproved after huffing in disbelief. Ruby rolled her eyes, tying up the trash-bag and moving around her grandmother.

"Granny, we're waiting for everything to settle. In case you haven't noticed, things have been... hectic around here lately," Ruby stated as she moved towards the back.

"Emma's been through a lot lately, and _she_ still managed to invite Regina for the sake of her son," Gran stated as she continued to take down the decorations. Ruby grit her teeth.

"I'm not sure how that is remotely the same. It's completely off topic and irrelevant," Ruby nearly growled. She hated being reminded of _that_ woman. When Regina had stepped into the diner, Ruby thought felt such blinding rage that she'd wanted to rip the woman to pieces. Even now, thinking about Regina, made her think about how the woman had slept with her mate and made images run through her mind and with each passing second she wanted nothing more than to tear out Regina's throat.

"Well... I certainly hope you're being honest with Attina, even if you're not being honest with me. Because if not, I fear you're both heading down a road rife with misunderstandings and heart-ache," Gran stated as Ruby went out to throw out the trash and feeling her granddaughter with slight dread.

XX

Having never really indulged in alcohol before in her life before, Attina was quite drunk. And for the life of her, she couldn't really care. She didn't recall ever in her life feeling this light. Considering she was the eldest and always had to look out for her younger sisters and be a good influence over them, her life had always been about behaving well and meeting her father's high expectations. After all, she would be Queen and even when she was younger, the responsibility of it had weighed heavily on her small shoulders.

"I really shouldn't be complaining about my problems with Ruby," Attina stated, after having told Regina all the issues she was having with her werewolf lover; a fact she would have kept to herself, were she sober. Having never been drunk before, Attina was aware of the tongue-loosening affects that alcohol seemed to have on her.

"But it's easier to think about Ruby and focus on our problems then to think of Andrina. That's Lucy in case you don't remember, you know the one that dumped you for me because I was scared you'd attack me with a knife and kill me," Attina muttered, spilling some of her drink on chest as earlier she'd opened the top three buttons of her shirt as she felt her skin becoming overheated; the liquid fell between the valley of her breasts.

Attina muttered a curse as she tried to use her own shirt to mop it up, but her motor skills were somewhat impaired.

Regina would have scowled at this, but she found her feelings were all dulled and numb by the alcohol. However, being more adapted to alcohol and its affects, Regina was still sober enough to be amused by Attina's drunk antics while retaining most of her own motor skills and control over her speech.

Reaching over, she gently pried the glass from Attina's grip and put it on the table before her. Scooting closer to the younger woman, she grabbed a cloth napkin and dabbed at the younger woman's cleavage, her eyes lingering for a moment on the tantalizing bit of skin as a hum of desire thrummed through her, a result of the alcohol and perhaps because of Attina's nature.

Mermaids were renown for their sensuality. Attina was a testament to that, as was her younger sister, Andrina. Both girls seemed to wear their beauty with confidence and with seeming indifference about their good looks, which made it all the more appealing. However of the two, Andrina was the one with cruel and nearly unmerciful type of strength, and a slight arrogant nature that made her somewhat more appealing to Regina. Attina on the other hand, she was the eternally responsible, mature princess, and Regina found that a bit dull, but her opinion of her was somewhat nullified by the fact that Attina had such a caring nature.

And yet... it had been the darker haired girl, the one with a rougher exterior and harder feelings that had tenderly kissed Regina's cheek and told _her, _The Evil Queen, that she still had light in her. As Regina slowly retreated from the elder girl, she couldn't help feeling some sadness at the loss of Andrina.

"I think you've had enough," Regina stated softly, her eyes gazing over Attina's form. With her rosy cheeks and her skirt hiked up to mid-thigh and her blouse unbuttoned, she painted quite the appealing picture. Lowering her gaze and retreating slightly, Regina started to reconsider her decision to bring Attina home. A slight frown blossomed on her face as Regina got to her feet, weighing her options and really seeing no other choice in the matter, she allowed a sigh to pass her lips. "Come on, let's get you settled. You can't drive home in this condition and I fear my condition isn't much better."

Extending her hand, she helped the younger woman to her feet, having to catch her around the waist as she stumbled. Attina giggled at this as she flung an arm over Regina's shoulders and allowed the dark-haired sorceress to guide her up the stairs. As they walked, Attina couldn't help feeling the warmth of the woman next to her or help a sudden heat blossom between her legs as she recalled how soft the woman felt.

Before she really knew it, Attina felt herself being deposited on a bed, causing another giggle to bubble up her throat as she nearly dragged Regina on the bed with her. "Whoops," she giggled as Regina attempted to remain upright despite the fact that Attina's arms were looped around her shoulders.

"Good night dear," Regina stated as she tried to gingerly disengage herself from the younger woman now sprawled on the top of the bedspread of the bed in her guest room. She was so busy trying to get the younger woman better situated in the bed, while trying to remove the slender arms wrapped around her as she bent over the younger woman, that she was completely unprepared for the moment she looked up and felt Attina pressing a kiss on her.

The shock she felt quickly seemed to fate as her aching, broken heart seemed to latch onto the available comfort, making her shut her eyes and melt to the kiss; she could make believe, if only for a moment, as she moved her lips softly against Attina's sweet lips that this might be what being in love felt like. She could make herself that perhaps, Attina loved head and felt something for her.

But as Attina sought to enter her mouth with her tongue, Regina knew that she could fool herself. And no matter how much she needed the comfort, she knew to allow herself to sleep with Attina would be a mistake, and that she'd be backsliding into old ways where she allowed carnal pleasures to attempt to fill the void, without a care as to the consequences.

Pulling away regretfully, Regina forcefully removed Attina's hands and backed away. "Good night, Attina," she stated breathlessly, albeit more forcefully.

Attina's eyes were still shut from the kiss. She then mumbled something unintelligible and without ever opening her eyes, turned so that her back was to Regina and presumably fell asleep.

Blinking away tears that sprouted once more from nowhere, Regina was quick to turn the lights off and retreat and wondering why she'd bothered doing the right thing. Wondering why she was trying so hard, when at the end of the day, she was still all alone.

Quietly shutting the door behind herself, Regina shook her head of her thoughts. It had been a long day, and no matter how hard, she was doing all this for Henry. _For my son,_ she reminded herself, nodding her head bravely as she marched to her own room. To sleep alone, once more.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** As always, input is always appreciated so please review. I hope the chapter was enjoyable.


	35. Chapter 35: Unexpected and Unwelcome

**A/n:** This chapter begins during Episode 12 & 13 (In the Name of the Brother, and Tiny, respectively).

Special thanks to everyone else who reviewed the last chapter. So sorry for the long wait for this chapter. For those of you wondering when Andrina will make her reappearance, it might just happen in the next chapter. And for those of you who I made with the last chapter with the Regina/Attina interactions, mission accomplished! ;-P

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"Hello Rumpel."

An unbidden gasp escaped from his throat as he spun around. He knew that voice. Even through all the years that had passed, and everything that had come to pass, he'd know that voice anywhere, and it was highly unwelcome.

Getting over his initial shock, he felt a wave of frustration suddenly rising in him like a tidal wave as with resignation he dropped his hand over the top of his cane. After everything had happened in the course of the last several weeks, Cora's presence was the least welcome sight in all the world.

"Well I expected this was just a matter of time. Had hoped you were dead, but disappointment is part of life. I'm sure we can agree on that," he exhaled, wishing nothing more than to rush over to the woman smirking at him and throttle her. Now wasn't the best time, especially not with Belle laid up in a hospital at the present with all her memories gone. And it wasn't as though he'd been in the best of moods in the course of the last several weeks, even despite his breakthrough with the potion that would help him cross the town line.

Ever since he found out that Andrina was gone from their world, he could barely function. The anger and despair were boiling beneath the surface, that he could barely manage to keep his facade up for the rest of the world. It was only through focusing on his task to find his son, and knowing in his heart that Andrina was alive in their world, that kept him going.

He was quite sure that wherever Andrina was, she was still his Andrina. He was quite sure that if she were gone, he would have felt it. No doubt on the matter was allowed to cross his mind.

"Aw, the crocodile snaps at the little bird. And after I brought you a gift," Cora said with that damnable smirk still in place and with the slightest shakes of the head.

"Yeah, did you bring the antidote too?" he asked in snipe, storing away that bit about the crocodile as it became clear just how Cora had come into town and who she was in league with. Of course, it made sense now. After all, he highly doubted Hook would have made his way over on his own. Hook was altogether another matter. Oh how he wanted to get his hands on that man and kill him for what he had done to Belle.

In spite of never having clarified things with Belle before, and in spite of having only platonic feelings for her, he still wanted revenge on that pirate. Never-mind the fact that it could have all been avoided if he'd simply been honest about his feelings for Belle. For a moment, he felt the guilt niggle at him as he thought about the fact that in a way, he'd _meant_ for this or something like it, to happen. He'd kept up the farce of loving Belle around the _Charmings_ and all the rest, because it conveniently hid the true identity of the woman he truly loved.

"Oh Rumpel," Cora said in a near giggle as she grinned, showing off all her pearly whites. But to Rumpelstiltskin, Cora held no charms. "It's a peace offering."

"And what do you want for this...uh," he briefly turned to consider the box that had appeared moments before out of nowhere on his counter before turning to look at Cora. "This peace offering?"

Suddenly the coy and cocky Cora was gone. In an instant, she became deadly serious with a gleam of sadness in her eye, but Rumpelstiltskin didn't trust it. Cora was after all, a master manipulator.

"My daughter," she answered simply, causing him to narrow his eyes for a moment, his eyebrows contracting a micro-fraction. "You were so clever to get her to lay the curse so you can come here. You don't need her anymore. Let me try to get her back and let us live."

He took in the glassy red eyes for a moment, having patiently listened to what she wanted. Hi tilted his head as a slight sneer came over his face. He'd never truly believed that Cora loved her daughter and he wasn't about to. "And what do I get for my troubles."

"Your son," Cora replied softly. The smirk was wiped away as he narrowed his eyes on Cora. However, she merely shifted her eyes to the box. Turning his attention towards it, he momentarily debated whether or not to open it, but at last decided to do so.

He felt his heart jump as he took in what was inside.

"You know what that is, of course," Cora's voice came to him, as if form far away.

"It'll find him," he replied, for the moment staring at the globe with it's pearly sheen to it while his heart continued to soar. However, he was quick to clamp down on his hopes. This was Cora after all, and it would simply not do to show her any weakness. "_If_ this one truly is _it_."

"Oh darling, I have no reason to cheat you," Cora said as he turned, taking a few steps closer to him.

"Anymore," he replied through gritted teeth. He didn't like to recall that Cora was one of the rare few to cheat her way of out one of his deals. Though in the end, he'd still won that one.

"I want you... to find the one person in this universe that might still love you," she replied. Rumpelstiltskin looked away as he felt his heart pulse as that doubt came over him. _Did she still love him? Could she still remember him? Was she even still alive_, but he shoved these all away. He needed to focus on the present after all. " After all I'm doing the same thing."

"Do you have any spells to return memories?" he asked, slowly turning his attention back to Cora. He was asking for Belle's sake. The only thing he could really think up would involve using the tea cup, and even he knew it wouldn't work. Just like the kiss. Because the truth was written in both his and Belle's hearts, and _they_ knew that what they had was not true love, even if Belle wasn't aware of this.

"I only know what you taught me... master," Cora replied, at her utmost conniving. Rumpelstiltskin felt disgusted at her attempts to ingratiate herself with him. "So will you accept my offer of a truce?"

Rumpelstiltskin turned away for a moment, thinking about it. However, after a few seconds pause, he started to extend his hand. A truce he could afford, at least for the moment. He didn't really expected Cora to honor it, and he knew he could just as easily break it at any moment. Though, he expected Cora would break it first.

"Truce."

Cora put her hand in his, a sparkle coming into her eyes suddenly. "Let's seal it like we used to," she offered and though he knew what she meant, he was powerless to really stop it as she stepped closer to him. The revulsion wasn't enough. His longing after Andrina wasn't enough. Cora must not know he was at all different, she mustn't get even an inkling of where his heart was.

XX

It had been days since Attina had last spoken to Ruby, unless one counted very short text message conversations throughout the days. According to Ruby, she'd been too busy lately, and who could really blame her? From discovering Archie Hopper dead in his office, to attending his funeral, to discovering he was still alive, and then that whole mishap where a stranger drove into town and crashed... Attina could understand Ruby not having time to see her or even to have a proper conversation with her.

However, that wasn't the only reason that Attina didn't really mind. She had far too much on her plate on her own, and since the night she spent at Regina's, she wasn't even sure she could bear to face Ruby.

That night was a huge blur for the most part, but it still made Attina's heart clench to thick of a a wave of nausea to overwhelm her whenever she thought about it. Despite Regina's insistence in the pale dawn light of the morning after, that nothing had occurred between them, Attina still felt unsure and the uncertainty made her feel sick. Something told her that the night hadn't been solely innocent.

However, with Regina nowhere to be found after being accused of Archie Hopper's death, Attina had no way to confirm or refute her beliefs. So instead, she hung in this limbo of only suspicion and Attina found she could barely think straight.

Staring at her phone, where it rested next to her left arm, she sighed. There was something else to be concerned about. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Eric had called her that morning. He was worried about Ariel, said that for the last few days she'd been looking particularly wan and she wouldn't tell him what or even if anything was wrong when he would ask her.

Getting up from her desk as she realized it was about time for lunch anyway, she decided it was time she paid a visit to her youngest sister. She just hoped that getting whatever was troubling Ariel out of her, would prove much easier than getting Andrina to ever admit to anything.

Not twenty minutes later, Attina was standing outside of Eric and Ariel's apartment. After knocking briskly, it took Ariel more than a couple minutes to answer the door. It was starting to make Attina nervous, as she found herself having to knock more than once. Her worry only increased further when she found herself looking at Ariel.

Her beautiful little sister was looking rather pale, and there were dark bags beneath her eyes that made it quite evident to Attina that the red-head hadn't been sleeping well of late. Her figure too, seemed somehow thinner than when last she saw her.

"Attina, what are you doing here?" Ariel asked in surprise, her bright eyes shifting warily where she stood clutching at the door tightly now.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Attina asked as lightly as she could muster, not ready yet to give way to what her visit was for. She felt a rising feeling of shame as she realized that she hadn't been playing as close attention lately as she deserved. Was she that wrapped up in her own life that she had missed it?

"Oh, yes, of course. Come in," Ariel said distractedly, looking down for a moment as she opened the door wider and stood aside. Attina was quick to step inside and have a quick glance around. _Well, at least whatever is troubling her hasn't caused the hoarder dormant within her to emerge, _Attina thought dryly as she looked around the neat little apartment. "Do you want something to eat, or drink?"

"No thank you," Attina responded, wondering why even after the curse, their high sense courtesy had been so deeply ingrained in them that even in moments of high stress, they still didn't let go of those habits which were clearly out of place in moments such as these. Attina took a seat on one of the couches, barely conscious of her sister shutting the door and moving to join her in the living room. "So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Ariel flinched. For a moment she looked guilty before she covered it with a look of innocence and confusion that had never fooled anyone. "What are you-"

"Eric called me and he told me he is very worried about you," Attina started gently. "Please just tell me what it is, Ariel. I don't think I can stand anymore dancing around the subjects and no one ever admitting to the truth and what is wrong. I'm tired of all the secrets and I just want for once, some plain-speaking!"

Ariel sat back, wide eyed as she watched Attina lose her proper decorum. For a long moment, she remained silent as Attina seemed to slowly calm down. However as Attina opened her eyes and lock them on Ariel, Ariel could see the hard steel look in them, and the pain that was just shielded behind that.

Feeling her throat closing up and tears building in her eyes, Ariel looked down in her lap. She wasn't sure where exactly she should start off, but she expected that the easiest part was to tell her about the baby.

"I'm pregnant," Ariel breathed out quietly, not sure if Attina had heard her. However, when she looked up a moment later and found Attina looking at her with a mildly dumbstruck look, she knew that she had.

"Is that all?" Attina asked, almost ready to breathe a sigh of relief. "I thought it would be something much worse," Attina breathed with a long sigh as a smile started to overtake her face. Ariel wrung her hands together and swiftly got up.

"Oh Attina, don't smile! It's horrible! It's so horrible that I haven't even been able to tell Eric yet," Ariel stated, pacing back and forth in front so quickly that she was almost like a red blur.

"Why is it horrible?" Attina asked, her confusion very clearly evident in her voice as she watched her sister pacing with increasing worry. She felt her nerves being pulled taut like violin strings as she watched Ariel continue to ring her hands together before her belly which was still very flat.

Ariel paused for a moment in her pacing, still not looking at Attina while she debated on whether or not she should come clean. About everything. It didn't really take long for her to decide. Ever since Rumpelstiltskin's visit, she had felt a great weight pressing down on her chest and Ariel wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. She had to tell somebody and somehow... Attina was the best option, even if she knew that Attina might condemn her more than Eric ever would.

Turning towards Attina, she resumed her seat on the armchair and slowly met her sister's eyes. "Andrina probably never told you this, but she was the one that helped me get to the ship," Ariel started.

Attina furrowed her brow. "What ship?"

"When Ursula turned me human, back in our world, I could no longer swim. It took me time to even learn to walk, so learning to swim with a human body was completely out of the question. And on the last day I had to fulfill the price for the contract with Ursula, Eric had taken off on one of his ships where he was going to marry her. I had no way to get to the ship from where I was stranded on land... and... I did something horrible, Attina," Ariel stated as tears poured down her face. She had to take a moment in order to breathe, as she had been speaking so quickly that Attina barely kept up.

"What is it, Ariel?" Attina asked gently, handing her sister tissue paper to dry her eyes, her brow furrowed in concern unsure how Andrina fit in all this and how it was relevant to the topic they'd previously been having about Ariel's pregnancy. Ariel took it without really noticing.

"Rumpelstiltskin came to me. And... I... I asked him to bring Andrina to me. I didn't know who else to ask for... Andrina was always the one... she's always taken responsibility for me and I happened to have something of hers. But Rumpelstiltskin only does things for a price, like Ursula. And I agreed to do a favor for him, if he brought me Andrina. I didn't understand the price, Attina."

Attina stared owlishly for a moment, unsure what she was supposed to make of this. "I'm sorry... did you say Rumpelstiltskin? As in... the little man from that story about the Miller's Daughter?"

"I don't think it was anything like that, Tina," Ariel said, shaking her head and looking very worried. "In our world... his skin was a sickly color, it looked bumpy and rough and like... dirty, gritty gold. And his eyes... they were like the eyes of a reptile, and the same, sickly yellow-green of his skin," Ariel described with a faint look of horror on her face. "He came to me here, in Storybrooke. He found me and he wanted me to pay the price I owe him..."

"Who are you talking about. Who is Rumpelstiltskin?" Attina asked, as Ariel had started speaking in a low voice, filled with fear.

"Mr. Gold," Ariel stated, knowing it was the only name that would truly mean anything to Attina. She saw the moment it happened of course. The understanding dawning in her eyes. The tensing of all of her muscles. Her lips pulling into a taut, distressed line.

"What did he want for a price?" Attina asked, her voice now properly severe. While she did not know the character of Rumpelstiltskin or why Ariel should be so concerned, she did know about Mr. Gold. Though she had never met the man or had any reason to deal with him, she knew he was a man to be feared by all of the town and had heard about many of his deeds. He was certainly not the type of man one wanted to owe anything to.

Ariel looked down. This was the hardest part of her confession. Taking a breath to fortify her courage, she very slowly looked up to meet her eldest sister's eyes. "Andrina," she whispered, as another tear slipped form her eye.

"She's beyond his reach," Attina said after a moment after swallowing the lump in her throat. There tears sprouting in her eyes eyes, while her heart remained clenched at the thought of her sister's fate.

"I know. He's going to come after my baby, Attina," Ariel cried, her voice finally breaking as tears started rushing down her cheeks. "He said if I didn't give him Andrina, he'd take my baby. He can't have Andrina, so he's going to take my baby!"

Attina moved over to where her sister sat crying and took her in her arms, attempting to soothe her. However, there was a cold that had settled all over her, and she wasn't sure if there was anything that she could say that would make any of this better.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** I'm sorry for any mistakes. I just wanted to get this posted and not make you guys wait any longer. As always, please review. I appreciate them all so much!


	36. Chapter 36: Pearl of Truth

**Disclaimer:** I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but the image I provided for this story is from Doll Divine's 'Neptune's Daughter' dress-up game. This is more or less how I picture Andrina. In Disney, Andrina is actually a blonde, but like I've stated previously, I think it's a bit odd for Triton's daughter's hair-colors to range from blonde to black and with the one red-head when both Triton and his wife seemed to have Auburn hair.

**Disclaimer 2:** Song included in this chapter is Blurry by Puddle of Mudd.

**A/n:** I think this chapter will more or less take place around episode 14 (Manhattan) and 15 (The Queen is Dead). As promised, Andrina will finally be making her long awaited reappearance. Enjoy!

Special thanks to TeamTHEFT, Iroquois and Glitter4Ever. I'm glad you continue to read and enjoy my story and take the time to review.

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Only a couple days had passed since Ariel's grand revelation to Attina, igniting a great sense of anticipation in Attina, not to mention a feeling of foreboding.

_Rumpelstiltskin_. The name kept repeating itself over and over in her head, igniting the synapses in her brain, trying to communicate _something_ to her.

The heavy weight she always carried with her in the form of an envelope, seemed now more pressing than ever upon her. The questions were all there, as well as the connections. But the possibility that she was contemplating seemed too absurd to her. She didn't think it could be possible. The idea of her beautiful, strong, little sister had possibly been in love with _him_... it just seemed too ludicrous. The possibility that Andrina's fate was tied to such a man... a _creature_, was too unfair to bear.

Of course, Attina knew there were two ways to answer the questions burning in her mind. One was to go against all her instincts that told her to stay away from this man and confront him, or alternately, to invade her sister's privacy and read her letter.

Somehow, the former was more appealing than the latter, in spite of knowing that the former was dangerous and would probably be fruitless. After all, she doubted the man would offer up any information unless compelled, and asking him would simply open herself and possibly her family to retribution form this powerful man. Besides, she couldn't exactly ask the man if her sister had ever admitted to him to being in love with him, and doing so would only reveal to the man that he had the most powerful hold of all over Andrina.

And yet, despite all that she knew, Attina tried to rationalize her seeking him out. She told herself that she would only go to him for clarification where Ariel was concerned. However, it was all for naught. Mr. Gold was not to be found at his shop, and after a brief visit to Granny's, she gleaned from Ruby that Mr. Gold had just gone out of town with the Sheriff and her son.

Though this news baffled her, and though it was the first time she had been face to face with Ruby in over a week, Attina had no time to stay and chat even if for once, Ruby finally seemed to be recalling the fact that she had a girlfriend and should make time for her. Attina was not presently in any mood to pretend with her girlfriend that everything was peachy, and rushed home for the privacy to do the one thing that she'd been dreading for weeks. But she found that she couldn't wait any longer. She _had_ to _know_.

Sitting heavily on her bed, holding the envelope blank but for the _R_, she opened the letter with a sense of shame. Pulling out the two sheets of paper, she carefully unfolded them and gasped when she saw what was at the top of the first page.

_Dear Tina,_

_Do not be so surprised sister, I knew that things would not be so simple for you and that you'd have to resort to this. I'm not angry or displeased, so you stop feeling ashamed. I told you, I trust your judgement and if you had to resort to opening this letter, than I trust to that you shall continue to keep the contents of my letters a secret, as well as to who the other letter is addressed to. _

_I trust you not to read the contents of the letter not disclosed to you, and to simply stick to the finding of the name. His name. _

_I'm sorry you had to resort to this Attina, I know that it goes against your nature to trespass even on another person's privacy, but I know your intentions are only pure and good. _

_Who my heart sang to might come a surprise to you, but I know you'll understand when you find out his identity, why I kept it a secret from everyone. Loving such a man is not remotely the same as Ariel's love for Eric, or your own love for Ruby. I did not fall in love with a prince, or a heroine. That is not who fate destined for me, but I'm all right with that. Despite the heartache I feel as I write these letters, I would not trade a single moment that I spent at his side in order to spare myself this suffering. _

_I only hope that you do not hate me for it and that you can find it it your heart not to hate him. _

_With all the love I never properly expressed,_

_Rina_

Breathing heavily, with her hands shaking and tears blurring her sight while pouring down her cheeks, Attina pressed her letter to her chest. Brushing her tears on the back of the hand that held her letter, she tried to focus on the second. Ignoring the contents, she moved to the bottom and felt her heart nearly stop. Closing her eyes at the unpleasant truth starting up at her, she shut her eyes against the name that flashed before her closed lids and would not cease to repeat in her mind.

Rumpelstiltskin.

XX

"_Pre-occupied without you, I cannot live at all. My whole world surrounds you, I stumble then I crawl. You could be my someone, you could be my scene. You know that I'll protect you from all of the obscene. I wonder what you're doing, wonder where you are. 'Cause oceans in between us, but that's not very far."_

Triton lingered in the doorway, staring at Andrina's back as she lay curled on her left side, her head barely propped up on her arm as she reclined in her giant, clam bed. Her long hair was lose and semi floated, semi fell around her like a cloak, blocking her from view. She was curled around a giant pearl, the size of a watermelon, her tail periodically whipping back and forth.

Her voice carried over the room, its melodic beauty soothing his heart as he watched his black-haired beauty. It was almost enough to soothe away the pain he felt at the knowledge that most of their people had been killed as a result of the curse, leaving only those that were in his family, part of the castle and a scant few that lived in the shallows as all that survived of their race.

Shifting from where he stood, even though it pained him to make her stop and interrupt her peace, he knew that it was time they had this discussion. Swimming over cautiously so as not the startled the fiercely territorial Andrina, he gently cleared his throat.

Slowly, Andrina turned and looked him over her shoulder and quieted. "Yes daddy?" she asked, though she did not move to receive him. She hadn't moved for weeks, though he knew that was normal for their kind. His eyes softened slightly at his daughter.

"I think it's time we have this discussion, Andrina. Soon it will be time for us to return to Storybrooke, and I think it is for the best you finally tell me who the father is," he stated gravely as he came only close enough so that he stood in her line of vision, but far enough away that she did not feel as though her egg were threatened. Mermaids guarded their eggs viciously and in spite of their rational minds, took any presence but their own that was too close to their egg as a threat.

"I know... I was thinking it might be for the best if I tell you as well, but only you must know daddy," Andrina replied softly, staring adoringly at the egg that had saved her from devolving. However, that was not the reason that she adored it. She hardly even cared the pain it caused her to expel the egg from her body.

Mermaids tended to expel all fertilized eggs between a week or two of their becoming fertilized, resulting in eggs roughly the size of a golfball which were expelled with no more than mild discomfort to the mermaid. Andrina, as she'd been trapped in her human form and was unaware of being pregnant, had expelled an egg the size of a tennis ball as soon as she had come across the portal and turned into her original form. It had been a painful and bloody experience, but Andrina and her family had wept tears of joy as they watched the pink pearl slowly become white.

Andrina had been roughly about three or four weeks along when the egg had come. Now, five weeks later, the gestation period for her egg was almost finished. Andrina couldn't help being happy. She wasn't sure if she could have waited nine months like a human to see her baby and was happy that her people developed so exponentially quickly in the first weeks of life.

"Where is everyone else?" Andrina asked, still not looking away form her eggs as she continued to move her arm so as to drizzle sand around the top of her egg and soothing it away with a wave of her hand. It was a process necessary in order to soften the shell of the egg, so that when the time came the merbaby would be able to crack the egg open with ease. The sand helped erode away the hard layer that was the pearl-like essence of a mermaid's egg.

"Your sisters and the guard have gathered the last of our people into the Great Hall. They are telling them of Storybrooke and what to expect if they chose to make the journey. They will not come this way," he stated, wondering for perhaps the millionth time why all the secrecy.

After they had discovered that the seas were mostly empty of their people, the family had felt a blow to their beings that was beyond grief and pain. The rest of the girls had wanted to return the Storybrooke as soon as they discovered there was almost nothing for them in their world, but it was impossible. Once the egg had been expelled from Andrina's body, there was no putting it back. And no one knew if the egg would survive the journey to Storybrooke, and no one was willing to take that chance when it could cost them both Andrina and the baby's life. After all, the egg was all that anchored Andrina.

"No one but you must know, daddy. If anyone else were to find out, they might use her to hurt him, or come after me. Our lives depend on no one knowing, and my little girl being protected and kept away from anyone who isn't _us_," Andrina said quietly but fiercely, trying to convey her message as she met her father's eyes with her own green ones.

"Her? Is it a girl?" her father asked, distracted by knowing the gender of his first grandchild. For a moment, he turned away from Andrina to stare at the egg, which shifted slight and swayed softly. It was a large, oval shape with the sheen of a pearl. However, there were places where the shell was starting to become thin, but the shape of the baby was still mostly hidden by the milky surface. But every now and again, when the baby shifted, he could see a silhouette of a little fin that made his heart fill with joy.

"That's what I feel," Andrina smiled, turning her gentle smile towards the egg. In that moment, his hard little princess resembled her sweet mother so much, that he felt his heart breaking and tears filling his eyes. However, it was a bittersweet feeling that left him feeling broken and complete simultaneously.

"Who is the father, Andrina?" Triton asked soberly.

Andrina found the strength to say his name, reveal her heart's greatest secret, only for her egg. She knew that her baby's protection would rely most on her father, and he had to know what he was up against.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she said, as light crack drew her gaze away for a moment, "Better known by Storybrooke residents as Mr. Gold."

**TBC...**


	37. Chapter 37: Home Is Where the Heart Is

**A/n:** Chapter takes place during "The Miller's Daughter" episode.

Again I'd like to thank everyone who bothered to review; _TeamTHEFT, Audrey evans5, SavySnape7, Ifitch86, JellyKellyBean, _and_ LoverOfRumpelstiltskin_. Your words mean so much to me and I'm glad that the last chapter and the revelation of Andrina's condition was received well.

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There were small fissures forming on the surface. Glowing green eyes watching as the restlessness multiplied, the rocking intensifying.

"She's hatching," a voice whispered.

XX

It was pure chance. Coincidence that she had chosen to return to Granny's, but her heart was too heavy and her head too muddled. She couldn't sort out her thoughts and somehow, she thought perhaps focusing on Ruby and on their relationship that they had both pushed to the wayside the last several weeks, might help clear her head. Or at least make all those thoughts bouncing around in her head to let her rest for a while.

Attina wasn't sure how much more she could take. She was reaching a breaking point and she knew that something soon was going to give. As she stepped out of her father's car and walked over to the diner door, she had a sense of foreboding on what exactly it might be.

"Hey, I didn't think I was going to see you again so soon," Ruby said, her voice trying to sound cheerful and a smile on her face as Attina stepped in through the door. However, she didn't move from where she stood behind the counter as Attina let the door fall shut behind her and she made her way over.

But even as she looked at Ruby's smiling face, her long locks of wavy brown hair and the way they framed her beautiful face, she found her thoughts were miles away. All she could think about was Andrina, or little Rina. All she could think about was the little girl who'd grown up too fast, stopped smiling too young, and had sharpened her tongue and her eyes to the point that one look or one word could freeze you where you were and decimate you.

Andrina, who threw away anything that might have sentimental value. Andrina who always tried to make her father proud. Andrina, who had been forced too young to know what it cost to protect those you loved, but who never flinched at her duty.

Attina felt herself clenching at the cruel fate her little sister was dealt. She didn't understand how anyone could love such a man as Mr. Gold, who only seemed to take joy in spreading misery. A monster, who probably didn't have a heart, or the capacity to love, but even as she thought this with suppressed anger and painful heartache, her sister's words came to the front of her mind.

_I would not trade a single moment that I spent at his side in order to spare myself this suffering. _

_I only hope that... you can find it in your heart not to hate him._

But that was a matter of difficulty. How could she not hate the man, that had taken her sister from this world? How could she not hate the man, that had destroyed her sister's chance at love and happiness? How could she not hate the man, that had broken her sister's heart so completely, that she was losing herself?

"Hey are you okay?" Ruby asked, her voice tinged with concerned. Attina looked up, barely aware that the wolf-girl had walked around the counter and was now standing next to her, holding on to her arms and looking at her with her chocolate brown eyes alight with concern.

"Nothing is okay," Attina said softly, in a tone of voice she didn't recognize. She didn't even know she had intended to say anything in response, much less _that_. "And I don't know if it ever will be again."

Ruby frowned at this, but before she could respond, a ringing in her back pocket distracted her. Though she wanted to focus on Attina in that moment, knowing that something was quite wrong, she couldn't ignore her phone. Not when Snow had put her on high alert while they were awaiting Emma.

"I'm sorry, I really have to get this," she apologized, quickly reaching into her pocket, but she noticed Attina hardly seemed to react. It was almost as though Attina where not there with her and Ruby felt a sinking feeling her worry only increasing ten fold.

Attina was only half paying attention, but she didn't have the energy to care that as always, Ruby's mind was elsewhere. She only heard distantly as Ruby had a quick conversation as she wondered what she was supposed to make of her sister's letter. As she wondered, how or when she'd even had the opportunity to kiss Mr. Gold. _Did they in our world? Did they carry on in this one?_

Attina didn't like it. She frowned the more she thought about it. However, her sister's words once more came to her and she knew that it wasn't her place to judge who her sister loved. Andrina had never judged her, never would. All Andrina wanted for her sister's was their happiness and though Attina wanted better for her little sister, she knew that it wasn't up to her and she found some small comfort in her sisters word.

_I wouldn't trade a single moment spent at his side... _

For better or worse, Andrina had loved Rumpelstiltskin._ Loves, _Attina corrected herself, trying to convince herself that her sister was still clinging to her sanity.

"I have to go," Ruby said as she snapped her phone shut. Attina nodded vaguely, barely aware as Ruby moved towards the coatrack to put on her coat. However, Attina turned towards her girlfriend as a thought occurred to her. She needed something of Ruby first. She knew what she had to do, what was the right thing, but she needed information first. Information she knew that Ruby should be able to give her.

With determined steps, she grabbed Ruby's arm and halted her progress. "I need to know where Mr. Gold is."

Ruby froze, her brow furrowed. "What? Why?" she asked, finishing the task of slipping on her coat now and pulling her hair from beneath the collar. She could feel the hairs on her body standing on end as she stared at the oddly determined and highly focused look on Attina's face now.

"That is between me, my sisters and Mr. Gold," Attina replied, not feeling the slightest bit remorseful about her response and about the fact that once more, she was keeping things from Ruby. But these weren't her secrets to tell. "I _have_ to find him. It's important."

Ruby's face became stony. "Always with the secrets, Attina!" she stated through clenched teeth before yanking her arm away from her girlfriend and slipping around her. She knew that Attina was following her, but she didn't feel like having the argument that was sure to come in the middle of the diner, with so many onlookers.

A lot of retorts came to Attina's mind at this, but she wasn't going to have this argument now. She had her priorities straight and her sisters took precedence in this particular moment. "This isn't about you and me, it's about Ariel and maybe saving someone's life. You know where he is, tell me!" Attina stated firmly in a cool voice, snatching at Ruby's wrist.

Ruby stopped in her tracks. Her heart thudded and her mind raced as she turned slowly towards Attina. A moral war started in her head and she wondered if she should tell Attina what she wanted to know.

_You promised Snow you wouldn't tell anyone. What's happening to Gold is top secret. It's important no one knew he was on the point of death, _she thought to herself, but as she looked at Attina, she felt her moral obligation faltering for a moment. She licked her lips, ready to say, but then another thought occurred to her. _What if this isn't Attina? What it it's Cora or Regina?_

Shaking her head, Ruby ripped her wrist and shook her head of those thoughts. She didn't have time for this. Whatever Attina wanted could wait. "I'm sorry, but I can't," and with that, she took off with all the wolfy speed she could muster.

For a moment, Attian stood there stunned as Ruby disappeared form her sight in a split second. _She didn't tell me,_ she thought as she felt a stab of betrayal. Brushing the tears that suddenly blossomed in her eyes, she shook her head. She ignored the feel of her heart breaking again, and turned towards her car. _Focus. There is always another way. His shop... just wait at his shop. He's bound to show up sooner or later, isn't he?_

XX

Her tail was a bright white, that it seemed to glow like the moon as the scales faded to silver by the fin which went from a nearly see-through gray, to white tips that were not as translucent.

She had her mother's eyes, nose and lips. But the mop of hair that covered her head and flopped down to her cheeks in silken waves of dusty brown, with strands interspersed here and there of gold and dark chocolate was definitely like her father's. Her skin, too, was pale, but not like her mother's. No, it carried undertones of tan, that sometimes made it appear that even at the bottom of the sea, her skin had been kissed by the sun.

From head to the tip of her fin, she was about two feet long and as Andrina held her in her arms, she found her pearl to be perfect, from the crown of her little royal head to the tips of her white fin.

"Now, we're going home, my little pearl," she whispered, placing a kiss to the top of the little head cradled in the crook of her elbow.

XX

She'd been waiting for the opportune moment, but she hadn't seen it arrive until now. Making her way through the back, knowing there just had to be a backdoor that had hopefully been overlooked, she hoped that she was right in thinking that the injured Mr. Gold would be in the back of his shop while the rest were in the front, dealing as they seemed to have to with Regina and an older, brunette woman she was with.

Attina could feel her heart in her throat as she found what she was looking for; a way in. She sensed the protective magic about the shop, part of it dark and part of it light, but she also felt the rippled of Regina's magic as she and the other woman attempted to break their way in the front. This was likely the worst decision she had ever made, but she knew it was the right one and knew that she'd be letting Andrina down if she didn't _try_.

Calling up whatever magic she still had left inside of her, Attina used it to pry through the lock and the magic, to gain the back entrance. Swiftly as she could, she poked her head in and found a dimly lit, empty hallway. Stepping in and shutting the door quietly behind herself, she swiftly and silently stepped down the hall.

She could hear people beyond the curtain, and ducking her head into the other entryway from the hall, she noticed an office, just as poorly lit as the rest of the shop. For a moment, she cast a look around and noticed that the cost was clear, but for a man slumped over partially on his side, facing away from her. Her heart picked up once more, as she spotted the man that had caused her family so much misery and she felt her fists clenching at her side as she was suddenly and overwhelmingly overtaken by anger.

"I know you're there, dearie. I must say, this is a most unexpected visit," a voice called softly and somewhat sardonically, but Attina heard it anyway. Even as she felt the floor give a slight tremor, heard a door bang open, and the jangling of bells. His scottish brogue somehow carried over all that.

Stepping into the room, she walked around and stared down at the prone figure as she stood before the little make-shift bed. However, as she stared at the man there, she found her anger fade. He seemed small, and weak as he stared up at her with large brown eyes. Her hate seemed to melt completely away as she stared at how sickly he appeared and she found that it really wasn't in her to hate anyone. That was simply not who she was. She was nurturing and caring, that's all she had ever known to be, and she couldn't change that now.

"Are you dying?" Attina asked in a whisper, her brow furrowed as she noticed that the top of his shirt was partially open and clearly covering a wound. She could spot some blood and found herself kneeling next to him, unable to stand seeing someone so clearly unwell.

"Possibly," Rumpelstiltskin replied as he looked at the girl he'd only ever known was Minerva and feeling his heart clench. Her face reminded him somewhat of Andrina. It was almost the same face, but for the eyes and the overall shape. Andrina's was a bit longer and more slender, while her oldest sister's had a slight roundness to it. "What are you doing here?" he asked, clenching his teeth against the pain he'd felt when his heart clenched, causing the poison to speed up a little and turning slightly away form the girl kneeling next to him. _She's almost like another Snow, _he thought wryly.

"Andrina left me something for you," she replied, handing over the letter she'd just pulled from the pocket of her coat. She placed it carefully on his chest, and watched as his hand fell over it. Watched his eyes close and saw the expression there, the pain which had nothing to do with his physical condition. "You love her, don't you?" she asked, the epiphany striking at her like a bolt of lightning. _That_ she had not expected... she had not expected _this man_ to love her sister.

She could hear muffled voices beyond the curtain, but she didn't care about that as his eyes clashed with hers. She didn't need him to answer, though he did nod his head, but she'd seen it in his eyes. More questions sprouted at this, wondering if the man loved her sister, why things had gone severely wrong. But she didn't have time to contemplate that as the commotion seemed to mount in volume beyond where they were and felt the magic suddenly making the air thicker and heavier.

Without a thought, she reached for the man's left hand and held it between her own. "What are you doing?" he asked, but unable to move as he watched her with slightly frightened eyes.

"Helping you," Attina replied simply, bowing her head to concentrate.

"There's nothing you can do," Rumpelstiltskin said, closing his eyes and holding his letter tighter to his chest. He could feel his despair mounting. There was so much that could go wrong and he didn't know the extent of this girl's magical training or powers.

"I can at least make the poison regress slightly," she replied quickly and her voice strong with determination.

"Not without taking on some of the damage," he replied, attempting to pull her hand from his but her hold was too strong and he was too weak.

"That's a price I'm willing to pay."

"Why?" he asked, looking at the girl with confusion. He'd never dealt with her before, she didn't know him, he didn't even know how much she knew about his relationship with her sister. By all his calculations, she should hate him and he'd never accounted for her being here, at his side, willing to help.

"My sister. Hope. Faith that if I save you, it might help save her," she replied somewhat broken, looking up at him one last time before looking down once more and concentrating, closing her eyes. She felt her power surge within her, made it flow from her towards her hands and through to him where they were connected. She found the lines where she felt the poison inside him and pushed it back with all she could.

She could feel herself taking some of his weakness. Felt herself becoming wan and a burning begin beneath her skin. But she didn't pull away. Not until the last moment and then she ripped her hands from his and fell back, panting for breath.

Looking up slowly, even though her head was spinning, she smiled wanly as she noticed that he wasn't as pale as he'd been before.

"You have to go, before they break through," he stated, unwilling to allow harm to come to someone who meant so much to Andrina.

Attina nodded her head. She'd done all she could, and more than she'd intended when she'd sought him out. But she was having trouble getting her motor skills under control. It was only through great struggle and hearing his mounting agitation that she was able to stumble out of the pawn shop. The rest was out of her hands.

Rumpelstiltskin watched her go, watched the door close behind her as he sat up and rested his back against his pillows before turning to look at the letter she had delivered and ignored as best he could the commotion beyond the doorway and the curtain that led to the front of his shop. He heard the moment that his son came in, but Bae was watching Emma as she crouched on the floor, putting another protection to separate them from the two witches.

Taking the moment, unable to wait, he stared at the letter that he had been given and proceeded to read as quickly as he could. There was too much left to chance in this situation, and he was so far out of control of it, that he didn't know if there was much hope for his survival. Especially if it rested on Snow lighting that candle. He needed Andrina's words now as it may just be the last time he read them.

_Dear Rumpel,_

_If you are reading this, then my sister Attina opened the letters and found you out, or you decided to go to her for answers about my whereabouts. Whatever the case may be, it does not matter now. _

_I do not know how much you understand, but I know you are brilliant and you would never forget what I told you on that beach all those many years ago, back in our world. I'm devolving Rumpel. I see no hope for us, and my heart is becoming unanchored from this life, from my self and soon, there will be nothing left of me but this shell and the dark creature it will soon house and there is no coming back for me. _

_I'm sorry that this is the way our story ends. You do not know how much I wish for it to have gone otherwise, for us to be one of the lucky few that get their happy ending, but I suppose that is not our fate. Or perhaps it's simply not mine. _

_I don't really know what you want and I find that even though I love you, there is so much I simply do not know about you. You're a secretive man, Rumpelstiltskin and perhaps that was our grandest error. _

_Attina once told me she believed that love cannot flourish in the dark. That like flowers, it needs the light of day to grow and that if left in the dark, it can only decay. Perhaps that is the fatal flaw of our story. That a love like ours has no place but the dark and in the dark, it has no room to grow._

_But I want you to know that in spite of it all, in spite of everything, in spite of how our story ends, I love you. Love you more than anything and would not have wished to have fallen for anyone less worthy than you, if it meant giving up every moment we were together. _

_There is so much more I wish I could say, but words seem inefficient. So let me just say that with all my heart I hope the best for you Rumpel._

_Forever yours,_

_Andrina_

Rumpelstiltskin pressed the letter to his heart for a moment and closed his eyes before hiding it away. Through the reading, he could feel his heart clenching and breaking, a million times over and he knew that in the last couple minutes he had undone all the work Attina had put into delaying the venom. But he found that it no longer really mattered. Andrina was truly gone and he didn't know how to go on without her.

"It's getting weaker. She's gonna get through," Bae's voice called from far away. Rumpel didn't need to open his eyes to know that he and Emma were still watching the barrier that was all that separated them from Cora.

"Maybe it's for the best," he stated, having to inhale deeply for all the energy and breath it took him just to speak those words. "At least this cursed power will pass from this world."

"No. No you're not dying," Bae tried to refute as he dropped his weapon carelessly on a nearby table top.

"I am dying, that much is certain" he stated, tiredly and a bit irritably. If he was going to die, he wished it would happen sooner. But then, a thought struck him. "... I need to talk to Belle," he stated, taking a few moments to breathe as he tried to reach out to the blonde savior; he at least owed Belle to try to make amends in some small way, after all, it was all his fault she'd lost her memories. "Emma please."

"Who's Belle?" Bae asked, as Emma took out her phone and dialed.

"Your dad's girlfriend," Emma replied as she handed over the phone. Rumplestilskin didn't have energy to waste correcting that statement. He needed to save what time he had left to say words that actually might count for something to the only two remaining people in this world that deserved the wasted breath.

The conversation of course did not start as he hoped, but he muddled through even as sweat started sprouting on his skin from the exertion and as the poison further advanced. He didn't have time to even really care that Belle's reaction to his impending death was anything but real concern.

"I know that you're... confused about who you are, so I'm going to tell you. You are a hero... who helped your people. You're a beautiful woman... who loved an ugly man. Really, _really_ loved me," he stated slowly, struggling to find the breath for all these words and controlling the emotion welling up inside him. Though Belle was not his true love and he knew for certain that she did not love him as much as she'd once though, that did not mean he didn't love Belle in some capacity. That she was not important to him. But even so, he could not say that she'd truly loved him or that he'd ever truly loved Belle.

"You find goodness in others. And when it's not there, you create it... So when you look in the mirror and you don't know who you are, _that's_ who you are. Thank you... Belle," he closed the phone and struggled with containing the sobs that threatened to erupt. But it was enough to have shown his son and Emma this much, to let them privy to even _that_ much.

"I didn't know you had that in you," Bae said thickly, after an attempt at clearing his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them.

"Oh, I'm full of love," Rumpel replied and despite the irony in his voice, it was the truth. He'd been given so much capacity to love when he was human, that sometimes it was painful just to live and even after becoming the Dark One, the capacity to love had only dimmed but never truly faded. Cora and Belle were proof of that, even if it was never true love on his part. Only Andrina had ever managed that, and he wasn't even quite sure how or when that happened. "I spent a lifetime looking for you. For a chance to say, _I love you_. And I'm sorry..."

**TBC...**


	38. Chapter 38: The Return

**A/n:** Special thanks to _AudreyEvans5, QueenOfTheDiamondDogs, Ifitch86, JellyKellyBean, TeamTHEFT, Savysnape7, Glitter4Ever, MelodiousDreaming, Iroquois, delicate disaster, and StarReader2009_. Your reviews mean a lot. It's good to know people are still reading and enjoying this story, even if sometimes there are long lulls between chapters when I hit a block. Your reviews keep me motivated to not give up on this story and I'm really sorry for the long wait for this chapter. It was hard to decide how exactly I wanted to deal with the reunion and I just hope it's satisfactory.

This chapter takes place between the "Miller's Daughter" episode and "The Queen is Dead" episode.

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Along the horizon, the sky was listening. Clouds hung low in the sky, streaked grey as the sun threatened to rise behind thick clouds. Andrina's gaze traveled from staring out the window, to the little baby in her arms, staring at her daughter in the dim-light of the dawn's light, of a rainy day in Storybrooke.

She was so pure, so tiny, so fragile looking. The transformation from mermaid to human had shortened her length by inches. However, the little bundle wrapped gently in her arms, like she and the rest that had traveled back form their world, retained the strength of their mermaid bodies.

Attina and Ariel for their part, remained as they were. The human bodies they'd been given by the curse, were weaker. Their magic, and their voices, the only thing that even a curse could never really take from them. But essentially, they were still vulnerable. And even with the protection her father had ensured to bestow on those that came through the portal, they were not invulnerable to _everything_.

Andrina stared at the soft strands of hair that covered her little girls face, her brows contracted in concern. Her next move had to be carefully planned, for her daughter's sake. Andrina wouldn't risk anything happening to her.

Gently brushing the soft brown strands from her little face, Andrina continued to gently rock her baby in her arms. "You need a proper name, my sweet little pearl," Andrina whispered gently, keeping in mind not to wake the occupant in the room, smiling softly at the way that her baby; though still asleep, the little face tilted towards Andrina. "Your father trades in names, I bet he'd know just what to call you," Andrina commented thoughtfully, feeling her heart tighten as doubts clouded her mind and she fell silent.

She knew what the right thing to do was. She knew that she had to tell Rumpelstiltskin about their daughter, but Andrina wasn't the type who did the right thing blindly and if she had to chose between doing what was _right_, and what was strategically _smart_, she would chose the latter.

The ruthless part of her, the part that forced her to forget that she had a heart, knew that she ought to wait. That she ought to put Rumpelstiltskin to the test, before ever allowing him near their baby. But the thought made her recoil at herself in disgust. She wanted to trust Rumpelstiltskin, wanted to trust what she'd so often seen...

But there was still too much to consider. There was Belle to contend with. People who might covet his regained powers. And then the man himself, a mysterious riddle who spun webs of manipulation so intricate and fine, that you walked into them blindly and functioned unknowingly within their constraints before he bore down upon you when it best suited him.

Cradling her child to her chest, Andrina nuzzled her face into the soft, sweet smelling hair of her child. She was so uncertain and she didn't know where to even begin, what would be best for her baby. Her heart felt like it was being pulled in too many directions to count.

And yet even so, exhaustion could not claim her, even in her sleep deprived state. All she could feel was the frustration and restlessness mounting. She continued to pace silently and rock her baby, as if by doing so her body's exhaustion would become wearing on her, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't rest and somehow she knew, she wouldn't be able to. Not until she saw him.

The sound of rain, falling against the window, brought her eyes. She stepped closer to the window sill and stared as the horizon lightened more, even as the rain proceeded to thicken. She imagined that somewhere beyond the clouds, the sun was peaking over the horizon, creating a line of silver in what appeared the far distance.

She'd been awake took long now. They'd arrived in Storybrooke, near midnight. Sebastian had been surprised, but pleased. He'd wanted to inform Ariel the moment they were back, but there had been too much to see to. Ariel could wait.

It wasn't until near three in the morning, when all the proper arrangements had been made for all their people, and the family was finally able to settle down for sleep. All but Andrina. She couldn't sleep and she had a feeling that she wouldn't sleep, not until after she had seen Rumpelstiltskin.

"Who's there?" Turning away from the window, Andrina stared through the dark as Attina sat up in bed, staring at her with wide eyes. "Andrina?" she asked, her tone losing it's sleepiness and the alarmed tone it carried moments before, and turned to shock. For a moment, Attina's head twitched in the sharpest of head shakes, as if unable to believe what was before her.

"Sebastian said you were very sick and weak, otherwise we would have woken you to let you know that we're back," Andrina stated, not moving to come closer to her sister as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, her back now to the window through which a pale, grey light streamed in and made her sister's pale and somewhat sickly features, even more grey and severe. Andrina's dark brows drew together in concern. "This is your niece; I owe her my life."

Attinas' gaze traveled to the child bundled so carefully in her sister's eyes, as she watched Andrina's face soften as she stared down at the baby she was carrying. Attina felt her gaze filling with tears as she stared at her sister. Though she was still very confused, she was beginning to make sense of what was happening, and she was almost afraid that she was dreaming.

"Am I dreaming?" Attinas asked, almost in a daze, unable to believe that this could be real. When considering the last twenty-four hours, from going to finding out who her sister loved, to aiding _Rumpelstiltskin_ out of some desperate wish her sister could be saved, to laying in bed for hours, feeling feverish until sleep claimed her, she could hardly believe that her sister was before her. Could hardly believe that in the weeks her sister had been gone, that she'd had a baby and that baby had kept her from devolving.

Andrina would have smile, were she not so concerned for Attinas' state of mind. Stepping very closely, as though approaching a potentially dangerous creature, Andrina reached a hand out and touched her sister's hand. "No Tina, this isn't a dream," Andrina responded, her voice firm.

Attinas' hand clenched hard to her sisters, as she closed her eyes for a moment to take a shaky breath and in an attempt to rid herself of the tears that built in her eyes. Opening her eyes once more, she looked up and stared into Andrina's eyes, and offered her a shaky smile. In spite of everything that seemed to be going wrong lately, in spite of everything that she'd just been through, it did her heart good to see her sister.

Ripping her eyes from her sister's face, Attina trailed her eyes to the bundle her sister carried. "May I hold her?" she asked, her voice still thick with emotion. She simply felt so full of them, that they were threatening to explode out of her at any moment and Attina wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or weep.

"Are you well enough to?" Andrina asked, her eyes narrowing as Attina sat up straighter and rested back against her pillows.

"I'm feeling loads better, I swear," Attina replied, smiling at the way Andrina managed to seem like an overprotective mother, while still appearing to be concerned for her sister. Andrina didn't say anything, merely watched Attina for a moment longer, before nodding her head and moving to settle her daughter into her sister's waiting arms. "Rina, she's beautiful!" Attina exclaimed happily, her voice quiet so as not to disturb the sleeping babe in her arms.

Andrina didn't say anything, merely choosing to sit on the edge of Attina's bed, watching her as she held her daughter. There was a reason instead of retreating to her room, she'd come to Attina's. She'd been gone from Storybrooke for weeks, and she was certain that a lot had happened while she was away. Before she did anything, Andrina wanted to know as much as she could before she set out. Somehow running out in search of Rumpel in the middle of the night, wasn't a viable option.

However, as she watched her sister, who looked like she was recovering from a bad bout of flu, she wasn't sure if she should really put her up to this at the present.

"She has his hair color," Attina stated softly as she stroked the baby's soft hair, her voice so quiet that Andrina barely heard it.

Turning sharply to look at her sister, Andrina narrowed her gaze on her sister as her body tensed. As Attina continued to stare fondly at her niece, Andrina allowed herself to relax slightly as she told herself that this was something she should have expected. After all, she did leave those _letters_.

"So you gave him the letter then?" Andrina asked, her voice low and and filled with more heartache than Attina would have ever thought Andrina capable of showing. Attina nodded. "And?"

"He seemed genuinely heart-broken," Attina replied with quiet hesitance, after thinking hard about what she wanted to say. Andrina turned away once more, not sure what to respond to her. A part of her wanted to ask about every single detail about the encounter, but as she took uneven breaths, she wasn't sure she could deal with emotionally just yet.

"Have you named her yet?" Attina asked a few minutes later, after they had lapsed into silence. For once, Andrina seemed at a loss for words, and seemed to be having trouble deciding what it was that she wanted to say. Attina thought that she might save her the trouble, postponing the moment for the time being.

"No," Andrina replied simply, wondering what to say. Turning away from Attina, she stared out at the window that was now peppered with droplets as the rain continued to fall heavily. "I'd like his input, but first I need to know if he'll pose a threat, or... be happy about this," Andrina replied quietly, her voice going cold and causing Attina to finally raise her eyes as she stared at her sister with pained eyes.

Where Rumpel was concerned, he was a hard man to read. Even Andrina wasn't sure what to believe when it came to him and what he was capable of. Whatever Attina might have seen, or thought she'd seen, as much as it made hope sprout inside her, she still couldn't help feeling more than a little doubtful. For the time being, she thought it was best to approach the situation from a skeptical point.

Attina struggled mentally as she wondered if she should tell Andrina about the poison that threatened to take Rumpelstiltskin from the world. She wondered if she should tell Andrina what she had seen in the man's eyes, as he lay in bed with poison coursing through his veins. She knew she must, but somehow she didn't think it was the right moment, and she feared that apprising her of the situation _now_, that her sister might act rashly and put herself in danger.

But then there was Ariel too, to consider. Rumpelstiltskin had threatened to take her baby, a fact that Attina had been willing to overlook when she was standing over him, but that now pressed on her mind insistently. She supposed that with Andrina now back, that perhaps it wasn't so much of an issue anymore, but Attina didn't like the thought of trading one of her sisters as though she were no more than a bargaining chip.

"A lot has happened while you've been gone," Attina stated with a heavy sigh.

"I imagine so. You must tell me what you know," Andrina stated, her voice going hard as she turned to look at Attina and focused on her. Her sister nodded her head in response, shooting one last look at her sleeping niece, before laying the peacefully asleep toddler beside her before proceeding to tell Andrina everything she knew; everything except the attack on Rumpelstiltskin, and his threat to Ariel.

By the time she was through, the sky went from a deep, greyish purple, to pale grey and silver with hints of stone-grey where the clouds were thicker. Andrina had started to pace, only stopping once when her Pearl gave a cry, demanding to be fed before falling back asleep after Andrina had given her a bottle.

"You should get some sleep, Rina," Attina stated gently, feeling tired and weary of speaking and growing concerned for her sister. Dark circles had grown beneath Andrina's eyes.

Andrina shook her head sharply, as though she were shaking off a fly as she continued to pace, her footfalls quieted by the carpet covering the floor. While it had taken some time, there really wasn't a whole lot that Attina was able to tell her and everything she did say, only brought more questions to her mind. Without expressly being told, Andrina knew there must have been some kind of communication break-down between Attina and Ruby, and that didn't bode well. However, Andrina had more important things on her mind.

"I think we both know that's not going to happen," Andrina stated as she finally stopped pacing. Her eyes slowly moved to the clock beside her sister's bed. It was still only six forty.

"Then maybe it's best if you get it over with as soon as possible," Attina stated a bit reluctantly. She knew she shouldn't be encouraging her sister to push her limits like this, but she knew Andrina would not rest until she found Rumpelstiltskin. She was beginning to believe, that it was best she just get it over with. She figured that the sooner it was done, the sooner Andrina would rest.

Andrina's eyes swept over to her pearl, the only thing that gave her pause.

"I will look after her," Attina promised, understanding her sister's reluctance.

Andrina's gaze moved to consider her sister. Though she trusted Attina, and knew how responsible she was, she wasn't certain she could leave her daughter in her care. _But no one knows about her, she'll be safe as long as no one sees her and she stays inside, _she reasoned to herself before nodding at her sister.

"But she stays inside this house, and doesn't leave the sight or immediate reach of you or father," Andrina stated, her voice hard like steel. Attina merely nodded. Andrina took a step towards the bed and paused, she wasn't sure she'd be able to leave if she got too close to her baby. Turning away, she headed for the door instead, her heart feeling like it was tearing with every step she took away from her little pearl. "I'll come back soon, so don't worry about me."

XX

Andrina wasn't quite sure what she was expecting when she set out for Rumpelstiltskin's house, as she reasoned that he night not be at his shop yet and thinking stopping by at his home before vernturing into town was a better idea. During the walk, which had been fairly quick considering the pace that she'd been walking at due to the heavy rain and her desire to get this over with, she'd tried to keep her mind blank while boxing away all of her emotions; considering that she had to protect her daughter, becoming emotional wasn't an option, she had to maintain a clear head.

However, the stranger that opened the door after she'd knocked, was the last thing that she expected. Her heart seemed to jump as she stared at a scruffy-looking man with dark hair and dark eyes; her body tensed imperceptibly as she took in his guarded expression and the way he only opened the door the width of his frame, making it impossible to see past him.

"Cant I help you?" the stranger asked.

"I'm looking for Mr. Gold," Andrina responded as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, no pause perceptible as she ponded what name to give. Considering she didn't know who the man was, and what Attina told her about Storybrooke no longer being protected from the outside world, she thought it wiser to use his Storybrooked alias than his real name.

"He's not seeing anyone today, so maybe you can come back another time," the man said, making a move to close the door. However, Andrina wasn't about to allow that.

Swiftly taking a step closer to the man, she made sure to place her combat-booted foot against the door so that it would not be budged. "I'm not leaving until I see him," Andrina stated in a cold, hard tone.

"Are you serious?" the stranger asked, his tone incredulous, before his eyes raked over her, as if measuring her up and trying to make his mind up about what he wanted to do. Andrina wondered as he did so, what he'd make of her black skinny jeans, her purple pleather jacket and the large hood of the sweater she wore beneath it that still covered the top of her head.

"Why wouldn't I be? Do you think anyone would get up so early in the morning and visit Mr. Gold for giggles?" Andrina asked sardonically, before becoming a bit impatient not to mention annoyed; the last thing she wanted to do in her sleep-deprived state was talk to a complete stranger set on impeding her path. Besides that, she was getting a bit anxious. _Had this man done something to Mr. Gold?_ "And just who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in Mr. Gold's home?"

"Bae, who was at the door?" a familiar scottish brogue called from somewhere inside the house before the man could respond. The sound was somewhat faint, as if calling from another room in the house, but all the same, Andrina's heart seemed to skip a beat as relief flooded her.

"Tell him it's Andrina; he _might_ want to see me," Andrina told the man who had not removed his wary gaze from her, her tone only just ironic, but mostly aloof. She felt she could have easily pushed her way through, but from the sound of Rumpels voice, she figured the man wasn't a threat and might in fact, be a guest of Rumpels which meant she should play nice. For the time being at least.

"A girl, she says her name is Andrina," Bae called back, after releasing a sigh after half a minute of contemplation.

There was a crash then, like the sound of glass breaking, causing the man called Bae to rush back without a thought. Taking the opportunity, and feeling less alarmed because she imagined what a shock this must be for Rumpel, she stepped quietly inside and shut the door, just as silently, behind herself before tracing the man's steps at a more leisurely pace. As she passed, only just taking notice of her surroundings, she lowered the hood of her sweater and shook out her hair, the tops of which was somewhat damp where the rain had soaked through the material of her hood.

"Are you okay?" Bae was asking as she stepped into the kitchen.

From where Andrina, she only quickly took in the layout before her gaze settled on Mr. Gold. In spite of her best efforts to keep a mask of apathy, her heart didn't seem to get the directive as it skipped several beats and began to speed up at the mere sight of Rumpelstiltskin's back. She felt her stomach flip at the sight of his black suit jacket, and the way his brown hair grazed his shoulders.

"And here I thought you might just be pleased to see me, how silly of me," Andrina stated sardonically as she crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to appear as cavalier as her voice sounded. A difficult task, as her heart seemed to refuse to settle down and had traveled up to her throat and settled there.

Rumpelstiltskin spun around so fast, Bae had to retract his hand from his shoulder for risk of losing it.

"Andrina?" his tone was of such severe disbelief and heart-break, that even the whisper her name came out in, could not hope to cover it up. His face transformed to a pained sort of disbelief, that for a moment she didn't know how to breathe.

"The one and only," Andrina replied quietly, her tone monotonous as her gaze flitted to the stranger who stood with them in the very nice kitchen area, looking on with the air of someone trying to figure out a puzzle. His presence, despite it being clear that he wasn't a threat, made her distinctly uncomfortable. She'd rather been hoping for this encounter to be a private one. Though, she admitted that perhaps _Bae_, whoever he was, was making it easier for her to keep some semblance of composure.

Before she realized it, perhaps because she was too busy staring at the other man occupying the kitchen, or perhaps it was simply because Rumpel was always shockingly agile, Rumpelstiltskin had walked over and wrapped his arms around her; pulling her into a tight embrace that almost made it more difficult for her to breathe.

It seemed to take her a few moments to realize what was happening. While her insides seemed to simultaneously melt and explode out of sheer joy, her eyes were still locked on the stranger in the room. As heat blossomed on her cheek, she narrowed her eyes on the shocked and completely bewildered expression on the man's face as he looked on with what might have also been mild horror.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Rumpelstiltskin whispered as he buried his nose in her hair and took in her scent, filling his nostrils with the familiar scent of sea-air and faint scent of coconuts; a scent he'd feared he'd never be able to smell again. At that moment, he didn't care about the world, didn't care that she'd frozen in his grasp; in that moment all that mattered was that she was in his arms, and as far as he could see, still Andrina.

"Rumpel, we have an audience," Andrina intoned with uncertainty, though she very much wanted to return the embrace, her gaze for the moment falling onto the clothed shoulder, and the soft brown hair that touched it. With a heavy sigh, she reached her hands up and pulled him away, to be able to stare up into his brown eyes, which were filled with love, and tears.

She wanted to ask him what had come over him. Wanted to ask what he was thinking, exposing them like this. But she merely continued to be sucked into his eyes, and the longing contained within them, that for just a second she forgot to care that he was supposed to be the Dark One. She forgot her doubt, about whether or not he returned her love, or if he felt half as much as she did and simply _knew_ that he did and that was all that mattered.

But then all it took was one look at the soft strands of brown hair, the way the traces of gold caught and almost drowned by waves of brown, and in her mind flashed the small face of her pearl framed by the same exact shade of messy curls. Immediately, she felt as though she'd been doused inside arctic waters, her insides went cold.

"Care to explain... _him_," Andrina asked, her tone becoming cool as she motioned behind Rumpel.

_Honesty of the heart_, Rumpel reminded himself as he looked sheepishly over at Baelfire who was staring with the same demanding yet somewhat incredulous look. Sighing, feeling his stomach clench, he turned to look at Andrina and stared deep into her eyes. He could feel his heart pick up in fear, feel every nerve ending ignite out of apprehension.

"This is my son... Baelfire."

**TBC...**

**A/n: **So I apologize for any typos that may have slipped. I really just wanted to get this chapter posted and not make you guys wait more. Anyway, please share your thoughts! I love to hear from you guys.


	39. Chapter 39: Test

**A/n:** I'm really sorry about how long this chapter took to be up. I wasn't really sure which way I wanted this chapter to go and had to rewrite it a couple times. And then I lost net. I'm also sorry if this wasn't made clear in the last chapter, but this does take place after Rumpel has recovered. I mean he did recover pretty quickly after the heart was shoved into Cora, it was like instantaneous. So this takes place the morning after.

And as always thank you to everyone who has reviewed. As always, they are treasured and very much appreciated.

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><p><p>

"Your son... you have a son," It came out without any form of an inflection. Rumpel wasn't even sure if she was asking. However, as he carefully took in the expression on her face, he noted that her brows had contracted slightly and that the delightful bow of her lips was compressed as her eyes took on a distant and calculating look.

"Okay... does anyone want to explain what is going on here?" a voice rang out, sounding ironic and perplexed. Andrina didn't react, but to turn her head slightly in Baelfire's direction, though her gaze remained unfocused.

"Bae... do you think you can give us some time alone?" Rumpel asked gently, turning to gaze at his son and giving him a somewhat pleading look. Bae seemed about to protest. "Please."

"All right," Baelfire acquiesced after some reluctance. Though he didn't look pleased in the slightest. Sending one last glance in the direction of the dark-haired girl, he slowly took his leave. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Neither Rumpel nor Andrina moved nor said anything, until they heard distinct sound of retreating steps and heard the front door open and shut. Even then, they both remained silent as Andrina slowly turned her gaze towards Rumpel with her expression unfathomable, even as her mind tried to adjust to what she'd just learned.

"Are you angry?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, his scottish brogue gently cutting through the silence, his voice soft as he looked with some trepidation at the woman that he loved. He was unsure how such a shock, learning that he had a son, might strike her. He was afraid that she would not understand, that she might condemn him for his past, or be unable to accept that Bae was an important part of his life, one that he would never be able to part with.

"That you have a son? No," Andrina replied after a few moments, though her brows remained slightly contracted before smoothing over as she gave a slight sigh. "I'm not even sure I'm particularly surprised. In fact, it might have been stranger if you _didn't_ have a child," she went on pensively, running her fingers through her hair wondering why she hadn't ever considered the possibility that he already had a child, _before_.

The knot that had worked itself into his stomach in the last couple minutes seemed to ease at this. Though, he still remained cautious. He didn't want to lose her, not when she'd only just reappeared in his life. Not when he'd already believed that he'd lost her forever.

"Why is that?" he asked curiously, thought not without a great deal of caution.

"Because, there's always been a kind of timeless quality to you. And after finding out about Belle, it's obvious you had a life before me and I've told you before, I can't exactly begrudge you that. I'm not even sure how long you lived before I came into your life and for you to have been alone all those years seems too cruel," Andrina replied unconsciously, still somewhat lost in thought. However, her gaze was then quick to focus on his brown eyes; the green eyes seeming to frost over. "I'm not even sure if I have the right _to_ be angry that you haven't told me before. I mean, you've never exactly been trusting; this has been true from the start, and yet I accepted you. And our relationship never did quite get off the ground-

"But we can't go on like this, Rumpel. _I_ can't do it anymore, not after what's happened."

"I know," Rumpelstiltskin's voice came out rough, and he forced himself to look down as his heart leapt into his throat. He could feel it's hard, rapid pulses as it stuck in his windpipe. He knew what he'd almost cost her, and the thought of losing her was more than he could bare. "How did you-"

"I'll tell you my story, only after you've told me yours; that is non-negotiable," Andrina stated inflexibly, ignoring the way her heart constricted at the sight of him so hurt, but she pushed on coldly and indifferently. She had her pearl to put first, above all.

"It's quite a long story, I'm hundreds of years old and you look like you need sleep," Rumpelstiltskin replied, his voice tinging with concern as his eyes took in her overly pale skin, and the deep purple bags beneath her beautiful eyes. He'd noticed this before, but hadn't been capable of voicing those concerns due to Baelfire's presence and the sheer miracle that was Andrina's return.

Yet somehow, even if she was clearly sleep-deprived, she seemed perfectly alert and regal to him in that moment.

"I have time," Andrina stated steely. To which Rumpel could only nod, wondering where to even begin.

XX

It was a lot to take in, even if she just got the cliff-notes version. Three hundred years was a lot to take in, especially when it came to a life so consumed with plotting and scheming.

Andrina wasn't certain as she listened quietly and attentively, trying to absorb every detail that she was told, what bothered her more. That he'd ripped the heart out of his wife, well she thought that was justified considering the woman abandoned her son. What kind of woman did that? That Rumpel created the curse that had relocated them all tho this world, didn't bother her as she could understand that he did it all for his son. That Cora... that he'd loved her... she could tolerate when knowing that his existence had been long, lonely and loveless... he needed the companionship, the understanding... and she couldn't begrudge him that, besides Cora was now dead and no threat to anyone.

No... the only thing that truly bothered her, was what he did to Regina. And even then, she could rationalize it. Regina made her own choices. Rumpel may have manipulated her, but in the end, it was Regina who ultimately made the wrong choice, time and time again.

Over the course of Rumpel's very long narrative, they moved from the kitchen, to the couches in his sitting room, with Andrina taking the armchair. The rain was still coming down, perhaps not hard, but still steadily. The sky had gone from silver-grey to a charcoal-grey.

"Well... there is something to be said for your plan... it certainly was a genius masterpiece," Andrina commented dryly, turning from staring out the window towards the man seated on the couch.

"Yes well... I had a lot of time to sort all the puzzle pieces in my head and plot out every one of my moves," he replied in a small voice, void of pride and only full of irony. He was staring at his hands, clasped in his lap, afraid to look up at the judgement in Andrina's eyes... afraid that his past would push her away and make him lose her forever.

"You've certainly made for yourself a very interesting family," Adrina commented, thinking about the fact that Rumpel's son had begotten Henry with the town's savior, Emma. Emma, who was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming; step-granddaughter to Regina, who was Henry's adoptive mother, and whose own mother had an affair with Rumpelstiltskin.

Should she have been able to see it? That Henry carried her true-love's blood?

"_I'm a sucker for brunettes with eyes like chocolates."_

Henry had brown eyes and brown hair like his father, and his grandfather. However, that was really where the similarities ended. And it wasn't like she was going to assume that every brunette that she came across was related to Mr. Gold. Besides... Rumpel's hair wasn't merely brown. It had wisps that sometimes looked golden in certain light, giving his hair a prettier sheen. Just like their daughter.

Their daughter, who had a brother...and a nephew.

"Do you hate me?" the small voice that he used stirred her from her thoughts and startled her. She didn't expect him to sound so uncertain... so afraid and vulnerable and it tugged at her hardened heart.

"No, Rumpel," she said as gently as she could muster, causing his eyes to cautiously peak at her from behind a fringe of silken hair. Leaning forward so her elbows were on her knees, she passed her hands over her weary eyes.

He'd told her everything... everything important she needed to know about what made him who he was, told her even the things that most people with any form of moral compass would cringe at. And everything that he did for his son... convinced her that she could not ask for a better or more loving father, even if she disagreed with some of his methods. But for her own pearl, she would stop at nothing, either.

"You need to sleep," Rumpel observed, even though he wanted to ask her a million questions. Though he knew she must still love him to still be sitting there, because her heart sang to him and could never love another, he wanted to be reassured. But now was not the time. He could see how exhausted she was, how much she needed to rest.

"I will tell you a story," Andrina stated, getting to her feet, not needing even a moment to know what her priority was. She needed to get home to her baby, and to rest, even if it physically pained her to leave him. "And I will tell it to you after I have rested. Come to me at midnight... I will make sure everyone is asleep."

"You mean at your home? Where your father and sisters-" he started, shaking his head as if it was the worst idea he'd ever heard, but afraid to express it as she leant over him and pushed the fringe of his hair back so that she could look into his eyes without hindrance.

"Yes," she stated simply, her fingers delicately tilting his face so that his brown eyes would look into her own dark green gaze. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I promise if you come, you will be rewarded."

Leaning in, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips, full of sweetness and promise that left him breathless and looking up at her pleadingly when she pulled away. "Come Rumpel."

It was a test of some sort. He could feel it but even despite his own reservations, he found himself agreeing. He'd disappointed already so many in his life, how could he disappoint her?

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Sorry for the short chapter. I wanted to get this finished and posted before the new season. Hopefully the new season will help me resolve the dilemma I've been having with where to take this. As always, please review and I'm so sorry for taking so long.


	40. Chapter 40: Fragments

**A/n:** So it's been a while since my last update. I've been having a really hard time of late, trying to decide how I'm going to proceed with the story, while trying to remain as true to the show. However, I have finally decided as this story is already AU, that I'm going to completely ignore the Tamara/Owen plot. The Neverland story arc I might incorporate, but with tweaks. We will see.

I apologize for the long wait for this chapter, which will take place between "The Miller's Daughter" episode and the "Welcome to Storybrooke" episode. Still the same day as the previous chapter.

Thank you for everyone who is still sticking with this story and taking the time to review. I can't thank you enough and I'm happy this story is as well-liked as it is.

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><p>"It wasn't Belle. The girl introduced herself as Andrina," Neal stated with mild exasperation as he followed Emma around the grocery store.<p>

Emma frowned slightly, never having heard of an Andrina before, but didn't really care. It wasn't like she'd met every single Storybrooke resident.

Pushing her cart forward, looking quizzically around for what they might need at the apartment, she shrugged her shoulders. She was currently more bothered by the fact that Neal, the man she still rather resented for what he'd done to her in the past, was tagging along with her on such a domestic errand. It didn't help matters that Emma had always hated doing the grocery shopping but considering the state Snow was in, she didn't have much of a choice.

And then there was the kid... who was so angry with her... all because she'd lied about Neal because she hadn't wanted to hurt the kid's feelings. Nor wanted to face her own demons.

"I still don't see what the big deal is, Neal," Emma stated in deadpan, tossing a box of noddles into the cart while frowning at the thoughts circling through her mind.

"It's just... weird. I know... _him," _Neal stated, running his fingers through his hair, still unable to shake what he'd witnessed from his head. "The way he held her..."

Emma turned to look at Neal when he trailed off and didn't say anything more. His eyes were glazed over in thoughts, but they had wandered down the aisle and were now narrowing on something. Turning to follow his gaze, Emma found herself staring at a couple of brunettes.

One was very tall, with a very slender body and with light brown hair tied into an intricate bun. She wore a light blue, summer dress with matching flats and a darker blue cardigan. If Emma had to guess, she'd say the girl was in her early twenties.

The other girl, was shorter and younger, though her figure was a little more shapely. She had very long brown hair, almost the same shade as the other, that reached down to almost her waist, even while held in a high ponytail. She wore a black skirt, with a goldenrod shirt tucked into it that had a ruffly collar and no sleeves.

Emma wasn't sure why, but she felt like she ought to know those girls. Almost as if she'd seen them before, but she couldn't quite remember where.

"The girl... she kind of looks like those two," Neal said suddenly, bringing Emma's attention back to him even as he continued to scrutinize the two brunettes. "Maybe they're related."

Emma was saved having to respond when they were both bypassed by another set of girls, also looking to be either in their late teens or early twenties.

"Alana went a little overboard," the blonde girl stated as she and her dark-haired companion reached the two brunettes who turned to look at the dark-haired girl with wide eyes. On each arm, the girl with black curls carried a ton of colorful, paper, shopping bags from what looked like a clothing store of some kind.

"Alana! I told you to get some clothes, not to buy the whole store!" the older brunette girl stated, glaring at the girl with dark-hair. _Alana, apparently_, Emma thought dryly still trying to think about where she'd seen these girls before. Even the two who had just joined were somehow familiar to her, and she hadn't even seen their faces as they stood with their backs to her.

"But it was all so adorable! Besides, you can't blame me for wanting to spoil the pearl, you're going a bit overboard too, Aquata," Alana replied, though Emma found it hard to hear from where she stood at the other end of the aisle. "I doubt she needs ten sets of different bottles."

The elder brunette, Aquata, _(What a strange name, _Emma thought_)_, colored; her cheeks turning tomato-red. "We don't know what kind she'll like best. I just want to make sure she has options, in case she's picky!"

"You guys, we should stop arguing. Attina told us to hurry. The pearl might be awake and hungry by now," the younger brunette stated, looking a little worried.

"Adella is right. We need to get home already," the blonde stated in a bored tone.

Shooting one last look at Alana, Aquata merely nodded her bun-topped head and directed the rest of the girls to the end of the aisle.

As the four girl's were passing Emma and Neal, Emma was struck by how beautiful the girls all were and how each seemed more beautiful than the last. And the fact that they all bore a slight to striking resemblance to one another, that finally made the pieces fall into place. She _had_ seen them before and there had been more of them.

"The girl... that went to see your dad," Emma said with a frown, thinking about how weird it was that Gold could be anyone's father, her eyes following the group of girls as they turned at the end of the aisle and disappeared, all the while chattering and arguing. "Did she have long, straight, black hair?"

"Yeah, I think so. You know her?" Neal asked, looking at Emma quizzically. He knew that look in her green-blue eyes, it was the look when she was putting things together and coming up with suspicions that set her ill-at-ease.

"I think I know who she was," Emma merely replied, wondering what the deal was between Gold and that girl.

XX

Ruby knocked on the door, fidgeting nervously and trying to ignore the undercurrent of anger coursing through her. The last time she'd been there, she hadn't exactly gotten a warm welcome, not that she had expected one. Mr. Davenport, or Triton as she now understood him to be, had never much liked her. He emphatically disapproved of her, back when they were cursed and even now that the curse was broken, he still didn't seem to like her very much, even if he allowed her to see his daughter and allowed her into his home.

She couldn't exactly say that she understood. She knew that it had nothing to do with the fact that she was female and the True Love of his eldest daughter. And she knew that a big part of it was probably because merfolk simply had a thing against humans, an intense prejudice, but she also knew that it was more than simply that. And as much as it angered her, she wanted to understand. Needed to, for Attina's sake.

Not that she and Attina were doing so hot at the moment. It had been days since they'd really spoken to each other, and even longer since they'd been intimate. And she knew that it was her fault... that she was keeping Attina away, because she in part resented her, but...

The door opened at that moment, cutting off Ruby's trail of thought. Standing in the doorway, looking quite serious and exasperated was none other than Sebastian, in all his stunning glory.

_It is so wrong that anyone could turn someone that hot into a freaking crab, _Ruby thought absently for a moment as she merely stared at the dark-skinned man. "Miss Lucas," Sebastian said very formally in his accented, deep voice, looking extremely put-upon. Ruby tried not to take it personally. From her understanding, being the right hand man of a King with a temper and seven daughters, rendering him practically a tutor and nanny to said princesses, would be trying for anyone.

"Hey Sebastian. Is Attina here? I really need to talk to her," Ruby requested.

For a moment, Sebastian looked extremely uncomfortable, though it did not show in his facial expression, which remained stoic. Instead, his posture became somewhat stiff, his hold on the door tightened imperceptibly. His eyes momentarily flicked overhead, as if requesting of the grey and raining skies to help him.

"Princess Attina," Sebastian started, his tone level as his eyes moved back to Ruby's. "Unfortunately, is occupied and cannot-"

"Who is it, Sebastian?" came a deep voice from behind the tall, lithe man.

Ruby tensed, her eyes widening in shock. The sudden appearance of King Triton from behind Sebastian absolutely stunned her. _But... she said he was gone! Back to our world!_

Upon spotting Ruby standing on his threshold, the King's azure eyes turned stormy and seemed to almost reflect the grey skies. However, the frown on his face was not as severe as some he'd worn in the past. In fact, his face looked younger than when last she'd seen him. Almost as if a slight weight was lifted from him.

"Miss Lucas," King Triton stated motioning her inside, his face stern.

For a moment, Ruby was still too shocked to move. It wasn't until Sebastian huffed in exasperation that she moved. Surprised by this and slightly wary, she stepped inside, willing away the hurt and anger she felt that Attina not told her that her father was in Storybrooke while her mind whirled, wondering what it meant.

Sebastian, as surprised as she was, took a moment before shutting the door and standing next to the king with his hands held behind his back.

"Um... Mr. Davenport," Ruby returned, unsure how to address the man, before blanching at the thought that the man was a King, and much more than that, ruler of all the seas. "I mean... your majesty."

Triton sent her a cursory glance before telling Sebastian that he wasn't needed and motioning Ruby into the sitting room to the right. Ruby once more moved uncertainly into the room, trying not to feel caged in as the Kings steps followed her.

King Triton was an extremely intimidating man. Standing at over six feet, he was still taller than her, even if she wore her tallest heels. And though he looked like a man in his late forties, his black hair peppered with grey, his shoulders were wide and very well-muscled. Ruby doubted she'd be able to take him, even in her wolf worm.

"I assume you are here to see Attina?" Triton asked as Ruby simultaneously muttered out, "How-Why?" rather _incomprehensibly_. "Excuse me?"

"Attina said you were gone, that you found a way to go back... how are you here?" Ruby asked, her words rushing out in her confusion that she forgot who she was talking to.

"We just got back last night... or early this morning," the King responded coolly.

"But.. how?"

"I will inform Attina you are here and send her down," he stated, turning away from the girl.

"Why do you hate me?" Ruby blurted out, unable to keep her mouth shut suddenly, annoyed at the fact that her question went unanswered. She was very frustrated with these merpeople and their damn secretive ways!

Ruby was further stunned when the man, whose back was to her, started to chuckle. A deep sound, that carried a slight edge of darkness to it as he turned to look at her with troubled, blue eyes. "Dear girl, hate is very far off the mark. And you are the least of my worries, where my daughters' suitors are concerned."

"You mean... it's not that I'm human?" Ruby asked, still confused. Triton turned and gazed at her with a sigh, his eyes still troubled but his lips twisted into a quirky, wary sort of smile.

"Eric is human... I've come to accept him," Triton responded, his tone level. "If you wish to understand, imagine what it is like to be a parent, for your children to be your entire world and one day have them taken from your world. But it is not simply that. Attina was raised to rule our people... she has given that up for _you_. I don't hate you girl; if you are her happiness, than that is enough for me. But I am disappointed she will not be queen when she was _born_ for it."

Ruby stood there, at a loss for words, shocked beyond belief. She hadn't known that Attina had given up her right to rule... for _her_.

"I will inform Attina you've come," the man stated, before departing and leaving the wolf-girl at a complete loss, all her anger melted into nothing.

XX

There was knock on the door. Looking up from the baby she'd been rocking and singing to for the past hour, Attina looked up asking who it was, her voice raw from the amount of time she'd been singing.

The door opened and her father stepped in. "You have a visitor," her father told her as she smiled at him from where she stood, very tired.

Though she loved her little niece, she'd been looking after her for hours. She couldn't stop wondering what was taking her sisters so long at the store. She told them to only get what was necessary! The pearl was getting very restless and Attina knew that the poor little thing had to be starving. The only thing that manged to calm her was singing, which was rather common for pearls. After all, song was the international- universal- language of their race.

"I'm supposed to look after her. Andrina would kill me if I left her alone for a second," Attina stated. Not that she didn't understand, considering who the baby's father was.

"I'll look after her," her father told her, causing Attina's eyes to widen in response.

"But... are you sure, daddy? I know you're very busy-"

"Yes, I'm sure," her father replied, reaching his large arms out for his granddaughter, a smile appearing on his face.

A slight frown appeared on her face, even as she stepped closer to her father. "You musn't let her out of your sight... if Andrina comes back as she's not with you or I-"

"Attina, I wouldn't allow anything to happen to my only granddaughter," her father stated in exasperation, taking the small bundle in his arms very gently. A gentleness that most would probably not expect from such a stern, and large man.

Attina breathed a little easier with that, before moving towards the door. Making her way down the stairs, Attina wondered who had come to see her. However, she didn't have much time to think as the front door bust open just as she reached the bottom of the stairs as her four sisters burst into the house, all of them toting bags.

"I told you just to get the necessities!" Attina stated, alarmed, her eyes wide.

"We couldn't help it," Adella stated with a shrug of her shoulders, looking slightly abashed as Arista closed the front door.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Arista asked, flipping her blonde hair out of her eyes as she pushed her way to the front. "Don't tell me you left our little pearl alone! Andrina will kill you!"

"Attina, how could you!" Adella gasped, her eyes widening as she shook her head, her long ponytail flicking back and forth.

Attina rolled her eyes. "I didn't leave her alone. She's in Andrina's room with father," she was saying before she was shoved out of the way by her four sisters, all of them hurrying up the stairs to get to their little niece. Attina sighed and shook her head, unable to believe how quickly they'd all fallen for the baby girl Andrina had. Even their father was wrapped around the girl's tiny little fingers.

Making her way to the sitting room, still smiling in exhaustion as she shook her head, she froze as she noted who had come visiting her. She wasn't really sure why she was so surprised, as she couldn't imagine anyone else coming to see her, but considering how things had been strained between them of late, she hadn't expected a visit at all.

"What are you doing here?" Attina asked stiffly, frowning now as she stepped more fully into the room, her voice still rough from the strain of singing for an hour straight. She crossed her arms over her chest, still unable to believe that Ruby had refused to help her the previous day when she'd been looking for Mr. Gold to give him the letter from Andrina.

Sure, she had understood that it had been a very special circumstance, but still. Ruby should have trusted _her_.

"How could you not tell me?" Ruby asked, slowly lifting her gaze to Attina's, her brown eyes hurt, her voice small.

"Tell you what?" Attina asked, confused, her tone irritated and bemused.

"That you gave up your right to rule... for me?" Ruby stated, causing Adrina's frown to deepen.

"I didn't think there was anything for me to tell. I assumed you know how lines of succession work, and that I would be next to rule. You know what we are, that our kingdom is under the sea. I can't rule if I'm with you," Attina explained, wondering what had brought this on.

"Attina... that is huge! Something we should have talked about!" Ruby stated, her voice an angry whisper, not wanting anyone else to know what they were discussing.

"Why? I made my decision. I chose you," Attina responded, her voice so certain that it made Ruby feel small and caused her heart to ache. Ruby looked at her with tears sprouting in her eyes.

"Why?" she asked, her voice small.

"Because there is nothing more important to me than you," Attina replied simply, willing her heart to stop aching as she stopped herself from reaching out to the other brunette girl, telling herself that Ruby would not welcome her touch. However, she didn't have to control herself or tramp down on the desire, as Ruby flung herself into her arms, causing Attina's chest to relax while her heart started to gallop in her chest.

And though she knew that they still had a lot of issues to work on, for the moment, Attina was simply happy to bask in the warmth and acceptance of her werewolf.

**TBC...**

**Review!**


	41. Chapter 41: Star of the Sea

**A/n:** To everyone still reading this, sorry for the long wait. My inspiration is still pretty low, not just for this story, but writing period. It's like my desire to write is just completely sapped.

But please, review. I think it helps. Makes me feel like my writing is actually better than I think it is.

* * *

><p>From the moment Andrina had got back, she'd been more or less resting. The second she was home, she checked on her little pearl, before being urged to bed by Minerva who promised to continue to look after her. After which she'd merely taken a nap before getting up to dinner and resuming responsibility over her daughter.<p>

Between taking care of her daughter, and taking naps with her baby, Andrina still felt exhausted when midnight finally rolled around. And though she had to prepare and she was still surprised when a swirl of thick, purple smoke materialized in her room by her window. Shaking her head as the smoke dissipated, Andrina couldn't help smiling, nor the sarcastic comment that departed from her lips while thinking that it was a good thing that she'd asked Attina to look after her baby for a while.

"And here I thought you'd use the front door," she stated, her green eyes looking up at him fondly, her heart reacting immediately to his presence. She wondered if that would ever cease, and hoped as she looked at his warm brown eyes that were equal parts discomfort and longing, that it would never cease.

"You should know I rather prefer my more dramatic entrances," he replied with a lopsided smile, his voice a quiet caress before his eyes slowly tore from hers and cast a look about. Only a lamp on her bedside table was turned on and it was capped with a lilac colored shade, so that the room was only dimly lit, everything colored a slightly indigo color with the exception of the immediate radius and reach of the light bulb. "You do enjoy your purple, don't you my dear?"

Andrina didn't reply, her mind for the moment thinking about less pleasant thoughts she'd had in the past. However, she pushed them out of her head for the moment, patting the seat beside her on her bed. "I believe I promised you a story, Rumple."

Looking hesitant, he nevertheless moved to sit beside her on the edge of her bed, turning his full attention to her as his hands rested on the top of his cane. Andrina looked away from him, wondering where to begin. She knew it was best to speak of the circumstances first, as she knew he was curious about what had happened to her.

"I once told you the worst thing to happen to one of my kind, is for our hearts to become unanchored when we lose the one our heart has sung to. That when that happens, we devolved into creatures without reason and capable only of destruction and that once that begins to happen, that there is no bringing that person back," Andrina started, her voice cool and aloof, as she could only think about it distantly, for fear that she might render her too vulnerable to proceed if she allowed herself to think about what had almost happened to her.

"But you never lost me," he said, his voice quiet but full of passion as he reached out to touch her face. Andrina pulled away and stood up, needing the distance if she was to continue.

"But that's not the way I saw it. I thought I'd lost you to Belle, and while I only wanted your happiness, my heart could not take losing you, so it started to detach itself from everything. But it's not a fast process. It takes time for each bond of love to be broken, and with each one that breaks, a little more of who you are is lost.

"That day at the beach, it had already started, Rumpel. By then, the pain was so intense that I was starting to have black outs. That is when that which we call the Other, that creature of darkness and destruction, emerges for bits at a time, each blackout becoming increasingly longer before finally the mermaid, or merman, can never come back," Andrina explained, not looking at Rumpel as she did, her gaze cast of to the side as she tried to put it all in terms he'd understand without having to think to closely to her own situation.

But it was impossible not to think of it. In her head ran every memory. From the first time she saw Belle, to that break that caused her to destroy her guitar, to falling to her knees in the diner, to the moment she spoke to him on the beach. To waking on Regina's couch, to the moment she blacked out in front of her family, to finally waking up, surrounded by her scared sisters.

"If it didn't start at the beach, when-" Rumpel asked, trailing off, drawing Andrina's eyes back to his confused and distraught form, sitting on her bed.

"Not long after the curse was broken, when I went looking for you. I saw Belle, in your shop. I was shocked... that she was alive and there," Andrina replied, her eyes glazing over as she remembered the exact moment, the pain of it. She felt breathless as she shook her head of it, and focused on the man before her. "I didn't know enough about you then, to believe that you would chose me."

As was always the case, she was shocked by his sudden agility and speed. He was before her, almost in a second, his hands holding lovingly onto her face as he gazed down into her eyes.

"It will always be you," he stated, his voice soft but full of honesty, before he leaned down at placed a loving, tender kiss on her lips, taking her breath with it. For a moment, Andrina simply gave herself away to the moment, her body melting into his, delighting in the familiarity and losing herself to her longing for him.

But then he pulled away, tucking strands of hair behind her ear as he gradually kissed her to a stop, peppering shorter kisses on her lips before resting his forehead against hers. Fluttering her eyes slowly open, she almost gasped at the burning in his brown gaze.

"What happened Andrina?" he pleaded with her, unable to voice the question anymore frankly.

Pulling away, taking his hands in her own, she walked him back over to the bed and pushing him to sit back down.

"Father felt that as he was ruler of the seas... our line supposedly descended of a sea god, that we must be able to travel between and through every sea in existence. And he was right, we can travel between world and he took some of us back. He thought it might be better for me, in my state as I was, that we go home," Andrina explained as she sat next to him.

"But how are you still... my Andrina?" he asked, his voice slightly fearful that he could still lose her.

"Because there is a love that can rival or surpass that of romantic love," Andrina stated, getting up and moving towards her bedroom door. "I'll be right back."

XX

To say that Rumpelstiltskin was bewildered by Andrina's sudden departure was an understatement. Sitting uncertainly on her purple covered bed, he uncomfortably looked around to pass the time. There was nothing exactly about her room that screamed Andrina, though it did seem to contain a lot of purple. It was a room of simple taste, and of little to look at.

He was surprised that the room didn't scream Lucy either. He'd always thought his Lucy was a little rebel, with a certain style to her that was slightly reminiscent of a younger Sheriff, while also seeming part ballerina princess.

However, her room did not reflect either facets of her person. Not the out-spoke, rebellious teen girl or the hardened, mermaid princess. Was that part of the curse? For homes to feel depersonalized or was it something in Lucy and Andrina's personality, to depersonalize their space. Then he remembered how Lucy felt about her home... how to her it was akin to a prison...

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, the door of the room creaked open. Rumpel tensed until he saw that it was Andrina and she came carrying a bundle in her arms that appeared like a large, rolled up, lavender colored blanket. It took a while for his brain to understand what it was that he was seeing as Andrina shut the door behind her and locked it before walking over to him.

It wasn't until Andrina was within arms' reach, and the bundle in her arms wiggled, that he realized what it was that he was seeing. Feeling his heart beat accelerate painfully, he looked up from the child roughly the size of an nine-month old baby and looked at Andrina in shock and puzzlement, his heart thundering more erratically at the appearance of this unknown child his mind for some reason turning to that moment long ago when he returned home to find Milah holding Bae in her arms.

"Who's-"

"Ours, Rumple," Andrina replied with a smile, as she motioned for him to open his arms. Doing so absently, he was stunned when the baby was placed into his arms, but he nevertheless held the child close and very tenderly.

_Ours_, the word repeated itself over and over in his head as he looked with wide brown eyes at the sleeping child in his arms. It wasn't until he focused on the child's head of hair that he came to understand the truth in her statement, even if he didn't know how it was possible.

Tears filled his eyes as he stared down at the perfect, tiny being that he now held all the more protectively. "How?" he whispered, unsure how he would comprehend her answer when he was staring down at one of the most perfect things he'd ever seen, and feeling his love for this virtually unknown child leaking out of him.

"When we returned to our true forms, I felt very sick. I thought I was going to black out again, but when we reached our world, what happened instead was that an an egg popped out of me. I guess when we left, I was already a couple of weeks pregnant. The gestation period for our kind is ten to twelve weeks on average, but from my specific line, it's more like eight to ten weeks. My father believes it's because we have more magic in our blood than other merpeople. We returned almost as soon as she hatched."

"Why didn't you come sooner?" Rumpel asking, almost wishing he had known sooner, tearing his gaze away from his child. He couldn't believe that he was a father again... that he'd had a child with the woman he most loved in his entire life, the last woman he would ever love; he felt as if this had to be some kind of dream.

The similarities and differences between this, and the last time he had a child, were not lost on him. _Then_, he'd returned home to find a child. _Now_, Andrina returned home with his child. _Then_, he'd found ridicule and resent, _now_ only smiles and warmth.

"You can't jostle a newly formed egg too much and we were afraid that transporting it through realms that... she would not survive," she replied as she sat next to him, her hand smoothing locks of shiny, silken hair from her baby's face.

"She?" Rumpel asked with awe, turning his gaze back to the child he held, tears slipping from his eyes and trailing down his cheeks. He was so overwhelmed with emotion as he stared at the little girl that he barely heard Andrina's response, the joy he felt at holding his own little princess in his arms too much to take as he leaned his head down and pressed his lips to her little head, to which the baby gave a little shuddering sigh. "What's her name?"

"I wanted you to name her, after all, names are your area of expertise," Andrina smiled, her tone almost teasing.

Rumpel looked up, finding this unexpected gift to be more than could ever expect. While the thought of children with Andrina had not exactly crossed his mind, it wasn't from a lack of desire for it. The idea of being a father again, scared him more than he could say, but he knew that it was something he desired more than anything, especially with his Andrina. And he knew that as much as a coward as he was, as undeserving of such a gift as he was, that he could never abandon his child again.

And that Andrina would allow him the honor of naming their daughter, was not something he expected. Milah had given him no such courtesy. She all but spat the name at him as she told him his son would need a strong name if he had to live with such a father.

A sob tore from his throat as he once more bowed his head over his daughter and held her little body closer.

"Mairin," he gasped, his accent thick, as Andrina pulled him and their daughter into her arms. Lifting his eyes to look at her, he was touched by her warmth as she wiped the tears on his cheeks with her hands. "Her name is Mairin."

"What does that mean?" Andrina asked curiously.

"Star of the sea," he replied when he could speak beyond the ball of emotion in his throat. Andrina smiled then before nodding her head.

"It's perfect," she whispered, before leaning in and capturing his lips, pouring every bit of love and devotion into the kiss as she could and filling Rumpel with such love that he almost felt all his scars disappear.

XX

Andrina was laying down, exhausted, but unable to take her eyes off the man that was rocking their sleeping child. She couldn't sleep with him there, even if she so wanted to from her lack of sleep the past couple of days. Already, he'd fed and changed her the couple of times that Mairin had woken, and Andrina was fascinated how docile and tender and devoted the man could be.

She wondered what anyone else would think, when they saw the dreaded / Rumpelstiltskin now. A smile, that had not left her face from the moment she'd placed their daughter in his arms, lit her tired face.

"It's getting light out and you haven't slept," came his voice softly from where he was pacing before her curtained window, his tone mildly disapproving as he prompted her several times throughout the night to sleep. Through a slip between the deep purple, shimmery curtains, the pale light of the approaching dawn could be seen.

"Neither have you," Andrina teased back, more in love then ever with the sight of the man rocking their daughter. His chocolate and expressive gaze flicked to her, both chastising and reluctant.

"I should be going soon," he admitted with a sigh, looking down at Mairin briefly before he made his way over to Andrina's side and sat down, his expression suddenly very serious. Andrina ignored the disappointment she felt and knowing he was going to leave, though she knew that he must. "I want you and Mairin to move in with me," he stated suddenly, causing Andrina to suddenly be _very_ awake. Sitting up completely, Andrina stared at him disbelievingly while her heart started to pound.

"What?" she asked, unable to believe that he was serious, though nothing in his tone or eyes suggested that he wasn't. She was so thoroughly shock, that her carefully honed composure had completely fallen away.

"I want you both to move in with me. I want to be able to see my daughter, every day. I don't want to miss a moment of her growing up," he explained softly, his eyes pleading with her to accept.

Running a hand through her hair, Andrina blew out a breath shakily. The request was not something she expected. The idea of ever moving in with anyone, had never really crossed her mind as in the past it never appealed to her and while the idea of being able to see the Rumpel every day filled her with excitement and longing, she couldn't deny that it also frightened her, though not for the same reason that it frightened normal people.

"Do you really think that's wise, Rumpel? Keeping our relationship a secret then would be almost impossible, and you're not exactly well liked," Andrina stated reasonably, her tone calm but concerned. As much as the thought may have appealed to her, she was worried about what it could mean for Mairin.

"My home would be the safest place for you both-"

"I'm not worried about me, Rumpel. I can take care of myself. It's Mairin I fear for," Andrina replied simply, her tone slightly exasperated that he would think even for a moment that she was thinking about herself at all.

"And I can protect her better in my home," her argued, though his tone remained calm and very reasonable. "We can't hide our relationship forever, dear heart. And didn't you say that 'love cannot flourish in the dark'?"

Andrina glared at the man before her, her cheeks coloring as he tossed her words back at her. "Rumpel, if anything were to happen to her-"

"I won't let anything happen to her... she means as much to me as she does to you," he stated firmly, his gaze locking on hers. "And I don't want to live without you anymore."

"Rumpel-" Andrina started shakily, unsure how to respond, unsure whether the benefits outweighed the risk.

Gently placing their daughter on the bed, making sure she was still peacefully asleep, he reached into his pocket. "This isn't the way I would have wanted this but... I got this for you. I've had it since your talent show," he stated as he showed to her a little box.

Andrina could feel her heart-rate triple as she stared at the small, black box. It was a jewelry box, the kind that could only be meant for rings... or earrings, but given the gravity of his expression, she doubted he was giving her earrings. Opening the box, Andrina felt tears gathering her eyes, not because of the worth or beauty of what lay in the box, because of the understanding she felt.

The platinum band, dominated by a large, square-shaped diamond that was surrounded on each side by smaller diamonds, all set perfectly barely mattered to her. She'd never had much of a high regard for jewelry.

"Are you asking me..." Andrina trailed off, her throat closing as she blinked away the tears and stared at the man before her, looking more vulnerable than he had when he'd cried tears over their daughter.

"I've never doubted that I want you in my life forever, Andrina," he said quietly, his gaze moving into hers. "The question is whether or not you want to marry me."

Andrina didn't reply, merely held out her left hand, all words seeming futile. She didn't doubt it either, even if the convention of marriage didn't exactly appeal to her modern and independent sensibilities. But she wanted this man forever, and she knew that marriage meant something to him and even if she was uncertain about moving in with the man at this point in their lives, she didn't doubt that she wanted him forever either.

That the ring fit so perfectly on her left ring finger, was no surprise to her. Staring down at the large ring, she couldn't help shaking her head at its large size. "There will be no hiding that."

"You don't necessarily have to wear it on your finger. If you'd like, I could fasten it to a necklace-," Rumpel started rattling off a little nervously, in spite of the fact that his ring now sat on her finger, a promise that she would marry him in due time.

"Rumpel, I don't need you to solve my problems for me," Andrina teased, getting up and stepping closer to him. Gently pushing his hair from his face, she planted small kisses on his lips, as her fingers tangled in his hair at the back of his neck. Her smile fading slightly, "But I need to think about moving in. That is a rather big step to take right now, and I can't take it on a whim."

Though he looked considerably disappointed, he nodded his head. "Of course, I understand. Take all the time you need," he stated as he caressed her cheek before turning towards Mairin who twitched in her sleep. A smile lit his slightly broken-hearted features as he bent down to inhale Mairin's scent before placing a kiss on her incredibly soft and round cheek. "I will come back soon, my little lass."

Andrina couldn't help melting at the sight and was surprised when the devoted, passionate man turned his attention back to her. Taking her into his arms, he kissed her deeply before pulling away regretfully.

"Soon, please?" he requested, before disappearing in a swirl of purple, leaving Andrina still lost and full of yearning.

**TBC...**

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